PORTAL NOIR

Ranjan Sharma

• Architects & Interior Designers

Applied products

Schindler 3300 (S3300) Schindler Elevator

Reference Schindler_BG_FINAL.pdf 0.1 MB

Schindler_3300_Brochure (1).pdf 6.01 MB

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This east facing residence is defined by its front being a series of juxtaposed flanked portals.

photo_credit Ranjan Sharma — Ranjan Sharma

These free-standing grey limestone walls with long black lintels, form intersecting portals accentuating the movement towards the building whilst providing much needed transition from the drop off to the main entrance.

Designed as a weekend home for a family of four, the residence sits in a linear site. Built volume is balanced with the main house positioned to one side and an outhouse at the other end. The main house is configured as a ‘C’ typology with the central courtyard facing the main linear lawn, seamlessly blending interior and exterior spaces to offer moments of environmental reprieve. The courtyard is strategically placed to break the linear scale into smaller masses, and to further bring the landscape into the interior spaces.

Overlapping horizontal rooflines with extended overhangs expand spatial volumes while a higher roof 'propped up' allows more natural light at the core of the building.

The residence has two large pools. The water feature adjacent to the formal living room is the focus of the landscape and is designed as a reflective pool. While the pool with the out-house is functions as the main swimming pool.

The main residence runs from the front to the back of the property on the ground level, while the rooms are distributed across the perpendicular arms above, creating the illusion of a narrow profile and stacked cantilever towards the front.

A layered and textured material palette is combined with clean, modern lines throughout the home to create subtle warmth and movement throughout the expansive spaces. Textures of the granite stone and natural finishes complement detailed metal work such as vertical screens, louvers, and canopies. Wood finishes warm the interior, while water and landscape elements across the exterior provide the backdrop for the family’s art and sculpture collection. High‐quality contemporary furnishings and finishes introduce a sense of understated luxury with a modern take.