The site for the twin residences is located in the western part of Ahmedabad, and the area earmarked for these projects is 1880 sq.mt from the larger site area. The larger site houses their existing residence, which is their multigenerational home. It was built by their father and designed by Ar. Hasmukh Patel. This existing residence is built of exposed brick with RCC vocabulary. The brothers, now each with a family of 4, wished to build their independent residences for their families on the same campus.
As an interesting initial requirement, they wanted to build two houses which are identical which are functionally independent but have internal service connections. Being real estate developers, they understood that this strategy would be efficient from a design and execution perspective. Having lived in an exposed brick house they had a natural affinity toward buildings with exposed brick and RCC. This led us to decide on the façade and building vocabulary. We chose to use more exposed RCC to distinguish the new additions from the existing residence, but just enough brick to strike a connection with it.
Both the residences have three floors. The plan was developed with a simple strategy, with the ground floor to have family living spaces, the basement to have a party and entertainment zone, and the first floor to have private bedrooms. This strategy allowed the optimum use of the open surfaces for natural light and view. The design allowed for the basement to also have good natural light with the help of a sunken courtyard. The entrance had parking and private open spaces on either side of the linear plans, and the rear larger open space was a common green for the family which had the existing residence.
The entrance porch is a double-height, creating an inviting entrance. From the porch, one enters the vestibule with the formal living room right across it. A linear corridor connects all the living spaces on the ground floor, with a relatively narrow corridor leading to a large opening up of the contiguous living and dining areas. Wide fenestration floods the interiors with natural light, promoting ventilation and connection with the surrounding environment.
This corridor is flanked on one side by a puja space, an elevator and a staircase. This is a straight-flight folded plate staircase that connects visually with all three floors through a large cutout and a skylight which brings natural light down to the basement. The pooja room is made distinct with its circular plan and only opening as a skylight to enhance the feeling of spirituality.
The first floor is dedicated to private spaces. It comprises two bedrooms with walk-in wardrobes and a master bedroom with an attached balcony, providing a backyard view. Additionally, a private gym is located at the end of the layout, overlooking the house's entrance. The basement houses a large party lounge space connected to a home theatre and a sunken courtyard bringing in natural light and an opportunity to step out onto the open space.
The two houses are identical with mirror image plans. The overall site layout ensures that each house has an independent entry, parking and service entrances.
