Create a secure residence for an elderly lady and her tenants.
Location: Situated in Panchkula, Haryana, adjacent to Chandigarh’s Information & Technology Park, this newly developed plot draws inspiration from Le Corbusier’s modernist Chandigarh city.
Typology: RESIDENTIAL
Name of Project: RESIDENCE 414
Location: PANCHKULA
Principal Architect: Aman Aggarwal
Design Team: Swati Agarwal , Meher Aditya
Site Area (sq ft & sq m): 450 sq .m. ( 4850 sq.ft.)
Built-Up Area (sq ft & sq m): 500 sq .m. (5350 sq.ft.)
Completion Date: 2020
Photographer: Nakul Jain
PROJECT FACT FILE
Products / Vendors
ACP / Glass / Concrete: Glass – ART – N – GLASS
Sanitary ware / Fittings: KOHLER
Flooring: SWISS WHITE
Furnishing: – Gagan Handloom
Furniture: Local Manufacturer ( Allah Rakha )
Air Conditioning: MITSUBISHI
Lighting: OSRAM
Paint: ASIAN PAINTS
Arts / Artefacts: STUDIO ORAH
Elevator: SCHINDLER
WINDOW SYSTEM : Kawneer ( Pawan doors x windows )
FACADE : Sivakasi Granite – ( Harihar Granite, Madurai)
Consultants/ Contractors
Structural: ER . PANKAJ CHOPRA
Design Approach: The home is designed on a free-plan layout with a courtyard situated in the centre. Careful consideration of levels and accesses ensures privacy and comfort for both the elderly lady and the tenants. There is a stark contrast between the glass facades of the neighbouring IT parks and older clusters and slums. The architectural response to this involves the most basic architectural element, the ‘plane’. The stacked planes emphasise the need to embody the essence of architecture amidst insensitive development.
Layout: The central courtyard plays a pivotal role in the design, interacting uniquely with interior spaces on different levels. The ground floor offers open access, while the first floor maintains privacy for the ground level through a ribbon ventilator.
The lower level accommodates the elderly lady’s bedroom at the front and a guest room at the back. The open plan on this level seamlessly connects public spaces like the living room, lobby, dining area, and an open kitchen. Additionally, a separate spice kitchen and other amenities are provided. The spatial volume on the ground floor is expanded with the help of a double-height living area. The old lady’s desire for a terrace is fulfilled by a separate elevator that opens directly onto the terrace from her entrance foyer.
The first floor comprises three bedrooms along with a common areas leading to private terraces. The second floor is a one-bedroom unit with an open pantry and two separate units for domestic help. These units also have private terraces hidden from view by the facade’s stacked planes to ensure privacy.
Parking and access for the ground floor are located on the north-eastern side of the site, while separate parking and access to the upper levels are situated to the south.
Materials: The material palette is limited to white marble and Sivakasi gold granite, complemented by simple white plastered surfaces. White marble flooring on the ground level creates a luxurious ambience, while the flooring on the upper levels the same granite. Various traditional techniques and craftsmanship are employed to explore textures and finishes on the granite.
