The site is situated in the lap of the nature- the fields- deep inside from the road at Aanand. The challenge here was that the landscape had been already done and a footprint was left for built.
Name of Firm: Aayam architects
Name of Principal Architects: Hiten Kakakdiya
City: Ahmedabad
Title of Project: Raghuvirsinh house
City the Project is located in: Mogar, Anand
Photograph Courtesy: Nikhil Patel, Surat
The trees welcome you as you enter in the site and an earthy way surrounded by trees becomes a guide to reach to the house while the paved open foyer becomes a pause to get the glimpse of the whole built.
It consists 2 bedrooms, living space, kitchen and dining at ground level. The recessed opening for entry opens up in a interior foyer lit colourfully with skylight and coloured glass. Living room and a bedroom are connected with this calm dimly lit foyer space. The double heighted living room allows natural light to penetrate inside and also the stone walls – floors and wooden roof above generates very natural and healthy environment. It opens into a common green space through a semi open veranda which is shared by both the bedrooms and outdoor dining. In addition to the common open space the master bedroom has a private cosy court.
The wooden staircase leads to the sufficiently lit library at the upper level which peeps on to the common green space at ground. The roofed bedroom at upper level glance to the pool through a balcony.
Natural stones are used for random rubble masonry which was available in different shapes and sizes. Sandstone was cut down into square and rectangular shapes used as coursed masonry for the walls. Wooden louvered window, open court, wooden roofing and natural stone help to reduce heat gain in summer. The combination of random rubble and coursed stone masonry with a pitched roof and rustic interiors generates character of the “farmhouse”. Texture of rough Andhra brown stone enhances the soberness of flooring.
Naturally lit and ventilated house reduces the use of electricity and the remaining required power is generated from the solar panel. It increases the green value of the building by consuming only that much which is required and using the source of energy having very low carbon footprint.
Wooden tree deck designed in dense area of trees increases the connective relation between human and nature.
The resultant of all these design ideas, techniques and elements makes this building efficient and let it caters to the larger idea of sustainability.
About the firm: We established our designing firm Aayam architects in April 2008 in Ahmedabad. Since then, we are consciously practicing vernacular architecture techniques like earth construction, stone construction and wooden roofing systems. We believe that one should feel a joyous, calming transformation in one’s inner self while experiencing the aura of the spaces we design and this can happen only when we are able to connect to our roots, to Mother Nature. And to promote artisanship, we work with master artisans who carry their ancestral refined knowledge of construction, in developing the green potential of a traditional technology and adapting them into a product for the contemporary market. We practice technologies that have glimpses of local culture and aesthetics.
