Saraansh – Nitin Varsha House | URBSCAPES

House is a summary of one’s beliefs and values. So is Nitin Varsha House. Situated in the eastern part of Ahmedabad, the house sits on a square plot with two shared walls, allowing views to the corner opening. With road on two sides, the house open ups to allow light to the opposite corner.

The clients wanted a modern house with natural finishes. Local stone, brick, concrete wood was the obvious choice. These materials allowed a lot of flexibility to create variations within them to bring out cheerful spaces for the young and sporty family. Nitin and Varsha played a vital role by giving their smallest requirements of storage, a utility to involvement in the final selection. Their involvement was crucial indeed.

The materials allowed a great permutation of patterns possible. Each day in the design process gave an opportunity to explore these materials and create a spatial envelope for them. As days passed by, each pattern became an element to explore. The memory associated with making of each pattern holds a space on the stair landing in form of “Saraansh – the summary”.

The house welcomes with the wooden gate, built in a traditional way with the brick jali compound wall, allows peeping inside the house with a curiosity. The granite finished floating ramp lifts one up to the verandah through the landscape. The main entrance draws attention to the double height foyer with cobbled floor creating a sense of inside-out.

The Living spaces open up to the deck outside allowing a wider vision by extending till the plot boundary. The brick wall acts as the backdrop to the formal-informal space with different bonds on it depicting the functional datum. The space unfolds to the dinning space and to the kitchen with a stair in the middle.

The concrete clock embedded in the wall scatters the digits along with the fix dials. The scars on the valsadi tead wood table, reminds the story of the recycled wood and the great workmanship of the carpenter.

The platform keeps floating by hugging the wall, allowing the floor to extend. The store and utility space attached the kitchen providing the essential needs. The cooking space opens up to the verandah outside allowing them to participate in the street life, and creating possible kitchen extension during parties.

The stair divides the two wings of public /private on lower floor and unites the two sleeping area on upper floor with a reading space and lounge. The stair explores wood with metal railing flowing to the first floor library space. The wooden louvers adjust the light required for reading and cutting off the view to the road.

Master bedroom with black Kadappa stone, opens up to two balconies on either side and a dress/toilet cube on the other side. Valsadi teak, Pinewood and concrete make up the ceiling with LED track lights. The bathing space explores Madras Kadappa stone in various finishes, opening into the balcony covered with lush green bushes for privacy, and tries to break through the mindset of closed bathing areas in dense urban context. The balcony is an extension to the bedroom in the real sense.

With transparent parapet, the balcony overlooks the street allowing view, and cutting harsh sun to the sleeping area. It acts as a climatic buffer from outside to inside – a verandah in true sense.

The son’s bedroom on the other wing explores Andhra Grey Kotah Stone with various finishes based on spatial need, with a backdrop of brick wall with different brink bonds forming datum lines.

The exposed brick wall here works as a stage for the young engineer, with bricks jutting out to hold small LED lamps. An alcove with wooden seat cantilevers out from the bedroom floor, extending the habitable space. The bathing space here explored exposed concrete as finish, avoiding the conventional tiles. Concrete, wood, stone, and glass create the envelope overlooking the double height of the service yard below.

The house summaries the wishes of the family, their beliefs and values. House Nitin Varsha is in true sense their Saraansh.

Fact File:

Project:Saraansh – House Nitin Varsha

Client: Nitin, Varsha, & Sunny Vyas

Design Firm: URBSCAPES

Principal Architect: Narendra Mangwani, Nidhi Parikh

Design Assistance: Jay Bhanushali, Avni Kanani, Prabhuti Desai, Mansi Pitroda, Khushboo Anandpura.

Photography: Kartik Rathod, Prabhuti Desai, Khushboo Anandpura.

Status: Built (2014-2017)

Area: 4000 sqft approx

Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Building design:  Ar. Krunal Panchal

Contractor & Engineer:  Bhavin Panchal