Houzz Tours
Delhi Houzz: A Green and Earthy Brick Bungalow
HomesbyDesign uses an abundance of bricks and metal trellises to create a spatial experience that is constantly evolving
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their two sons and their respective families
Location: New Delhi
Year built: 2020
Size: Site area 6780 square metres; built up area 400 square metres; landscaped/ trellis areas 750 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a powder room
Design firm: HomesbyDesign, a vertical of RLDA design l architecture l research
Photos by: Suryan Dang, Rahoul B. Singh
The homeowners found Delhi-based HomesbyDesign through Houzz and approached the firm with a brief for an “unpretentious getaway home that offered a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces”. It was important to them that both the architecture and the landscape collectively formed a holistic ensemble.
Lakshmi Chand Singh and Rahoul Singh, co-founders of HomesbyDesign, chose brick as the predominant building material. Between the profuse use of bricks and metal pergolas, there is a constant play of sun, shade and shadow, thereby defining an aesthetic that is at once both dynamic and static. The project consists of four structures that define its spatial character – a circular guard room, a cuboidal pump room (not seen here) and two residential blocks.
Who lives here: A couple, their two sons and their respective families
Location: New Delhi
Year built: 2020
Size: Site area 6780 square metres; built up area 400 square metres; landscaped/ trellis areas 750 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a powder room
Design firm: HomesbyDesign, a vertical of RLDA design l architecture l research
Photos by: Suryan Dang, Rahoul B. Singh
The homeowners found Delhi-based HomesbyDesign through Houzz and approached the firm with a brief for an “unpretentious getaway home that offered a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces”. It was important to them that both the architecture and the landscape collectively formed a holistic ensemble.
Lakshmi Chand Singh and Rahoul Singh, co-founders of HomesbyDesign, chose brick as the predominant building material. Between the profuse use of bricks and metal pergolas, there is a constant play of sun, shade and shadow, thereby defining an aesthetic that is at once both dynamic and static. The project consists of four structures that define its spatial character – a circular guard room, a cuboidal pump room (not seen here) and two residential blocks.
He continues, “The brick projections that are denser at the bottom and more sparse as they rise, are organised in three equally spaced bands, providing both pattern and shade, and collectively work as an environmentally passive cooling device.”
See these contemporary Indian homes with brick façades
See these contemporary Indian homes with brick façades
The home is accessed from a doorway on the east side, which leads to the main entrance through a circular courtyard.
Lakshmi says, “The multiple types of brick coursing along generate shadows at various times of the day and year. They simulate the warp and heft of a fabric, albeit a terracotta fabric that is both wall and screen, both permeable and impermeable.”
“The building expands and contracts as it opens up to the courts and gardens that both envelope it and inhabit it. One is both a part of and a part from the surrounding landscapes,” adds Rahoul.
The main door opens into a foyer through which one can see right through the trellis courtyard to the residential block. Lakshmi elaborates, “The presence of a metal trellis and trees further contributes towards creating a ‘sense of place and space’, while casting graphic and abstract shadows on the walls.”
The trellis courtyard has bleacher steps leading to the roof at one end.
At the other end lies the swimming pool, beyond which is the landscaped garden that slopes upwards (with earth used from the excavation of the swimming pool and the building’s foundations).
The swimming pool is strategically located at the junction of the two residential blocks, which are connected by the overhead trellis. It’s placed in such a way that it serves to mediate between the built mass and the landscape, and doubles as a water reservoir for evaporative cooling, which is another facet of the building’s design strategies.
A right turn from the entrance foyer takes one to the living areas of the house, which consist of a living room and a casual family room overlooking the big neem tree.
The living room sports an exposed brick wall in keeping with the ethos of the house. Patterned cement tiles have been placed at the centre of the room to simulate a dhurrie; the same strategy has been used in different parts of the house as well.
An internal courtyard connects the living and dining spaces visually, whilst ensuring that the landscape is an integral part of any axis through the house.
The dining space is a simple but elegant affair with cage-like pendant lights adding an element of design.
Just beyond the dining room is the kitchen, overlooking the gardens. Seamless white cabinets and a kitchen island-cum-breakfast bar in wood make up this minimalist space.
Click here to see 15 inspiring breakfast bar ideas
Click here to see 15 inspiring breakfast bar ideas
A circular guardroom in trademark brick serves as an architectural folly on the edge of the gardens. Sitting amidst a copse of trees, it’s a defining element in the manicured landscaped.
Read more:
Delhi Houzz: Uber-Minimalism is the Mainstay of This Cuboid House
What Is a Green Building in India?
Tell us:
What did you like most about this house? Do tell us in the comments below.
Read more:
Delhi Houzz: Uber-Minimalism is the Mainstay of This Cuboid House
What Is a Green Building in India?
Tell us:
What did you like most about this house? Do tell us in the comments below.
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