Houzz Tour: Delhi Barsati Redux...With Shipping Container Sheets
Industrial elements and recycled steel panels create an out-of-the-box look for this New Delhi rooftop room
Aditi Sharma Maheshwari
31 July 2017
Blogger, dog mom
How often do you see an old shipping container making its way into interiors? This New Delhi studio’s design does not conform to conventional residential design ideas – instead, it employs industrial materials to create a homely, cosy setting. “The homeowner couple are freelance creative professionals who live on the top floor of a residential building. On their terrace, they decided to create a breakout area, to be used as a studio and a place for socialising. Due to the building regulations, the construction needed to be limited to a lightweight elements and so, keeping that in mind and to make the place look edgy, we decided on this: metal girders and trusses would form the exoskeleton and mild steel panels refurbished from used shipping containers would be used to envelope the area,” Vrinda Mathur of Studio Wood says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their newborn baby
Location: New Delhi
Year built: 2016
Size: 110 square metres (1184 square feet); 1 bedroom; 1 bathroom
Interior designers: Vrinda Mathur, Navya Aggarwal and Sahej Bhatia, founders Studio Wood
Photos by Rohan Dayal
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple and their newborn baby
Location: New Delhi
Year built: 2016
Size: 110 square metres (1184 square feet); 1 bedroom; 1 bathroom
Interior designers: Vrinda Mathur, Navya Aggarwal and Sahej Bhatia, founders Studio Wood
Photos by Rohan Dayal
The entrance to this terrace is through either of the two doors seen on the shipping container panel. The entire place is divided into three sections: the garden area in the middle, the semi-open portico, characterised by a wooden deck, on the right and the closed indoor cabin on the left.
“For constant daylight and natural ventilation, we chose to have no ceiling for the structure; only the cabin area has a roof to protect it from all weather conditions,” Mathur says.
“For constant daylight and natural ventilation, we chose to have no ceiling for the structure; only the cabin area has a roof to protect it from all weather conditions,” Mathur says.
The garden has faux grass, and aiming to use recycled materials, the designers chose old shipping container panels as boundary walls and painted them bright yellow to infuse a friendly, fun vibe into the space. This colour was also chosen to play against the green of the grass.
“The terrace is full of playful features, including a swing and a back-lit vertical garden wall (on the left). This garden wall was made in a ladder-like style using steel framing. Fibreboard planters have been kept inside at different levels. A container panel separates the vertical garden and the cabin,” Mathur says.
“The terrace is full of playful features, including a swing and a back-lit vertical garden wall (on the left). This garden wall was made in a ladder-like style using steel framing. Fibreboard planters have been kept inside at different levels. A container panel separates the vertical garden and the cabin,” Mathur says.
The other section of the terrace is the semi-open, cantilevered deck, situated next to the cabin. The area has IPE wooden flooring and long, horizontal wood panels that create an airy wall on two sides. “The deck is designed like an outdoor cabana, with a custom wooden swing overlooking the garden area. It’s a nice place to sit, relax and enjoy a cup of tea,” Mathur says.
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The studio space is enclosed like a box with the fourth wall all in glass. Sliding UPVC glass doors allow for a seamless integration of the interior with the exterior. “Inside the cabin is a living room-cum-bedroom and a frosted-glass shower section,” Mathur says.
Confused between aluminium and UPVC windows?
Confused between aluminium and UPVC windows?
”The most important element that we created for this project was this prefabricated cabin structure, as only temporary units are allowed on the terrace, according to government norms. This area was made using a combination of Trafford sheets, wooden flooring, UPVC windows, metal beams and a gypsum board ceiling,” Mathur says.
Vertical and horizontal 150x150 millimetre beams raise the structure above the existing terrace floor to avoid rainwater percolation. Two skylights above the room and shower let in extra daylight and natural ventilation.They can be opened and closed by their sliding panels.
The living room is furnished with a sofa-cum-bed, a sleek glass centre table, lots of vintage art (seen on the white brick wall), and a custom-built wall unit (on the right), filled with curios and photographs.
Vertical and horizontal 150x150 millimetre beams raise the structure above the existing terrace floor to avoid rainwater percolation. Two skylights above the room and shower let in extra daylight and natural ventilation.They can be opened and closed by their sliding panels.
The living room is furnished with a sofa-cum-bed, a sleek glass centre table, lots of vintage art (seen on the white brick wall), and a custom-built wall unit (on the right), filled with curios and photographs.
The interiors were designed to echo the concept of modularity. With a simple push, the sofa can transform into a bed or continue as a comfortable five-seater.
A shower area with frosted glass is installed next to the sofa-cum-bed. “The-open-to-sky shower area is my personal favourite. It has two access points for water – the rain shower and the clouded monsoon showers, as well,” Mathur says.
Indoor plants have been added to soften the ambience. “All the furniture and accessories around the room were sourced from Khan Market or custom made by Studio Wood, keeping in mind the aesthetics of the home owners,” Mathur says.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: This Noida Home Gives a Crash Course in Space Management
Tell us:
What did you like most about this studio space? Tell us in Comments below.
A shower area with frosted glass is installed next to the sofa-cum-bed. “The-open-to-sky shower area is my personal favourite. It has two access points for water – the rain shower and the clouded monsoon showers, as well,” Mathur says.
Indoor plants have been added to soften the ambience. “All the furniture and accessories around the room were sourced from Khan Market or custom made by Studio Wood, keeping in mind the aesthetics of the home owners,” Mathur says.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: This Noida Home Gives a Crash Course in Space Management
Tell us:
What did you like most about this studio space? Tell us in Comments below.
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