Houzz Tour: An Ahmedabad Home Uses Nature to Combat Climate
This family home is built around the trees growing on the site to create a spacious maze of interconnected spaces
The brief for this family home was simple – to build a residence that preserved the 284 trees and the extensive lawn that were already a part of the site. Couple this with dealing with Ahmedabad’s torrid climate, and architects Sangeeta Merchant and Sanjeev Panjabi of SPASM Design Architects had their work cut out for them.
“The pre-existing trees and lawn prompted the exact positioning of the built form,” says Merchant. Also, the design incorporates rammed-earth walls, courtyards (for preserving trees), vertical wooden pivoting louvres, top-hung windows with mesh inserts and a facade made from corten, a weatherproof alloy characterised by its rust-like appearance, to manage the harshness of the climate.
“The pre-existing trees and lawn prompted the exact positioning of the built form,” says Merchant. Also, the design incorporates rammed-earth walls, courtyards (for preserving trees), vertical wooden pivoting louvres, top-hung windows with mesh inserts and a facade made from corten, a weatherproof alloy characterised by its rust-like appearance, to manage the harshness of the climate.
Ahmedabad remains predominantly dry through the year and the summer months are quite brutal. The architects deployed different strategies to mitigate the intense heat. “Sunlight is a huge phenomenon here, and on this particular site we were very aware of the crispness and harshness of the light,” says Merchant. The courtyards allow hot air to rise and escape by convection and cooler air, conditioned by the lush vegetation, to flow into the rooms from the sides. So wherever there were trees, the designers created courtyards of varying sizes.
Sprinklers activated by timers humidify the courtyards, which are planted with ferns, arums (Monsteras), Alocasias, Philodendrons, Raphis palms, Terminalias and other such plant varieties.
The entrance is a 16-metre single-span space, free of columns, with a 2.4-metre-high canopy. The sides are bound with vertical wooden pivoting louvres, creating a filter through which the breezes from the main courtyard can flow freely while the sunlight is screened out.
The entrance is a 16-metre single-span space, free of columns, with a 2.4-metre-high canopy. The sides are bound with vertical wooden pivoting louvres, creating a filter through which the breezes from the main courtyard can flow freely while the sunlight is screened out.
The entrance to the courtyard encloses an existing neem tree (Azadirachta indica), setting the tone for the rest of the house – the powerful presence of nature pervades the entire home. Merchant says, “The tree adds to the whole experience of the entrance. We created certain details which allow the tree to move and grow. The air which comes through from the sides is controlled through vertical louvring in wood and by sliding panels.”
The entrance space moves forward to transform into a living area, encased within giant sliding glass walls. The transparent walls allow the living and dining to seamlessly connect with the surrounding verdant environment. The shade provided by the cantilevered upper level keeps this area cool. The architects incorporated another feature to beat the tropical heat – a manually rammed earthen wall made from thick earth mixed with eight per cent cement. Earth walls have insulating properties. “During the day the outer surface of the wall absorbs the heat, but by the time it transmits it to the inside, it is night-time. So the temperatures remain pleasant throughout the day,” explains Merchant.
The architects took an unusual approach with the main staircase leading to the upper level. Merchant says, “We didn’t want to fall for the cliched cantilevered staircase. So we conceived it as a stack of drying timber in a yard.” The handrail is crafted from rosewood with the bent corners made of cast brass, creating a sense of luxe elegance.
A second living area is housed on the upper level. All the furniture in the house was conceptualised specifically for the home. “Mirrors, towel racks, book shelves, vanities, television stands, occasional tables, and nested trays … these were all designed as bespoke objects,” she says.
The daughter’s room introduces a playful tone to the decor. Not playful in the sense of colours, clarifies Merchant, but in terms of occupying the landscape. To achieve this, the bed, the study and the storage are designed to resemble stacked boxes, neatly tiered or casually piled up.
“Throughout the project we have tried to incorporate the best level of craftsmanship,” says Merchant. The master bathroom has a spa-like feel to it with the two vanities constructed from a single hand-crafted block of Indian bhaswara marble.
The approach changes on the upper levels as the trees aren’t available for protection from the elements. The architects, therefore, constructed brickwork walls tailor-made to support an outer facade. Made from corten, each 5.5-metre-high panel hangs off the internal structure, creating a ventilated facade to shield the house from the intense Ahmedabad heat. Tiny perforations are made in this skin, so that when a breeze passes through the small oculi, the air becomes cooler.
10 Ways to Add Jaalis to a Contemporary Home
10 Ways to Add Jaalis to a Contemporary Home
The perforated corten screens form jaalis that take their cue from the architectural fabric of Ahmedabad – the Sarkhej ruins and the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque. “The corners of the volume are perforated in patterns of trees and branches, a bow to the Sidi Saiyyed Mosque jaali, an architectural wonder of Ahmedabad,” says Merchant. “During the day, these spaces become dappled in patterned light and shade.”
Glass sliding doors fully expose the dining room to the pool space. “The idea here was that if you are going to entertain, do it with an understated elegance. Thus, we dressed the space with lofty shutters, a giant circular hand-crafted dining table and a lazy Susan with a brass knob,” says the architect.
The pool is designed to resemble a dark organic water body, which reflects the trees and surrounding greenery.
“Over-deck foam insulation, coupled with reflective glazed tiles, sliding screens, giant Agassi balcony spaces, and the ventilated corten facade, all work in unison to reduce heat gain,” concludes Merchant.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A Contemporary Getaway With an Indian Twist
Houzz Tour: This Outhouse Teases With its Luxury and its Opulence
Tell us:
What was your favourite feature of this family home? Share your thoughts in Comments below.
“Over-deck foam insulation, coupled with reflective glazed tiles, sliding screens, giant Agassi balcony spaces, and the ventilated corten facade, all work in unison to reduce heat gain,” concludes Merchant.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: A Contemporary Getaway With an Indian Twist
Houzz Tour: This Outhouse Teases With its Luxury and its Opulence
Tell us:
What was your favourite feature of this family home? Share your thoughts in Comments below.
Who lives here: A couple, their parents and daughter
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Year built: 2016
Size: Five bedrooms
Architect in charge: Divyesh Kargathra
Architectural designers: Sangeeta Merchant, Divyesh Kargathra, Gauri Satam, Mansoor Ali Kudalkar and Sanjeev Panjabi of SPASM Design Architects
Photos by Sebastian Zachariah and Ira Gosalia | PHX India
“We don’t see our houses as a collection of rooms,” says Merchant, “we see them as spatial experiences.” Since it was imperative to design and build the home around the trees, a few foundations were even hand-dug and carefully positioned. These trees, in turn, became generators of specific vistas and open-to-sky courtyards that resulted in a free-form arrangement of interconnected spaces.