Located In Panchkula, at the junction of two arterial roads, this four-bedroom family home, designed by Arch.Lab, is constructed on a site at the edge of a street of row houses. The project exhibits a modernist structure composed of cubes, staggered across two storeys, and clad in leathered granite. The brutalist monolith is softened by contemporary wooden jaalis that not only create a perforated skin between the inner courtyard and the outdoor neighbourhood, but also create a warm contrast. The wooden jaalis craft an introverted pattern that complements the overall design, and characterizes the façades, while also adding an element of playfulness to the structure.
The planning of the house has been done keeping in mind the needs of a small nuclear family that sought privacy and compact living. To achieve a quiet and peaceful living environment, the house has been conceived with an inward-looking spatial arrangement. The spaces flow into each other in a linear arrangement, and are free from visual obstruction on the ground floor. The ground floor and first floor are visually connected by a double height living room on the ground floor. The primary challenge was to balance the privacy of the residents and the intake of natural light through the street facing facades. A courtyard, along the outer longer face of the house, and carefully planned skylights ensure a naturally-lit interior environment while ventilating all the living spaces of the house. To further enhance the factors of privacy and natural light, the ALuFIT range of fixed and casement windows and the AluLITE range of sliding windows by ALCOI have been seamlessly integrated.
The modular fenestration system of the House Within has been designed for maximum transparency and no architectural barriers, thus ensuring optimisation of spaces. An innovative combination of single and double shutter jamb, with glass and fly mesh shutters and a monorail system of fixed and sliding nature, ensures a smooth flow of spaces within the house and a strong interconnection with the outside world. The sliding system features a single, double and triple row INOX roller assembly that enables smooth sliding movement which are also fitted with self-adjusting rollers and theft guards. Additionally, the outer tracks of the sliding system consist of a unique condensation profile for collecting and draining water through hidden weep holes and slots, thereby, protecting the interior spaces from extreme weather conditions and resulting in better aesthetics and maintenance.
All sections of the fenestration system are extruded from aluminium alloy and are optimally designed to meet various requirements of functionality and strength. In addition, the EURO design system is assembled with accessories and hardware of anti-corrosive materials and special external and internal EPDM gaskets that match the glass thickness. The fenestration system also consists of hermetically sealed double-glazed units with silver/black spacer bars with dehydrated air/Argon filled cavities. High security has also been ensured in the residence with a manual single point and multipoint locking system, inlaid with locks integrated into the lateral upright without any visible fixation.
The House Within is designed in such a way that the courtyard becomes the central space of the house as it is well connected with all the primary living spaces. To optimize daylight and heat gain, larger openings with fenestrations are directed towards the courtyard, and low height openings are located along the outer façade, which also regulate the visual connection with the outdoors. The design ensures a comfortable amount of cross-ventilation and natural light, while also ensuring privacy. The vision was to create an entire ecosystem within the space and a passageway for natural light; it has successfully been achieved through careful spatial planning and the use of ALCOI fenestration systems, thus ensuring comfortable living.
