The brick wall patterns create an inward-looking oasis for a multigenerational family at this Chandigarh residence. Located in Chandigarh, on a site facing a busy sector road on one side and an arterial road on another, Residence 91 by Charged Voids houses a nine-member family spanning three generations. The client desired a humble, meditative sanctuary—a sacred space that prioritizes wellness and tranquility and sparks joy. The architecture responds to this brief by celebrating nature and the elements, harnessing a powerful combination of light, materials, and familial warmth.

Editor’s Note: With perforated artistic patterns in brick facades and an airy oasis inside, this residence in Chandigarh fosters comfort living. Keeping the meditative aura as the core of design, the architect creates a personal sanctuary for its dwellers. By carefully crafting the voids and incorporating traditional design methods, this house is a meditative hub in the form of a residence. ~ Rajvi Dedakiya

The Brick Wall Patterns Creates An Oasis For Multigenerational Family | Charged Voids

Owing to the bustling location, the project takes shape as an inward-looking dwelling with carefully planned recesses. Additionally, it ensures privacy and noise reduction. The voids in the building interconnect the various spatial volumes. Henceforth, it responds to the tradition of maintaining close ties within large Indian families.

Layout

The layout of the 7-bedroom home is structured around a central courtyard. The common areas on each floor spill directly onto the courtyard—an intervention that reinvigorates the traditional verandah. Thus, evoking fond memories of celebrating life in the aangan for the homeowner.

Ground Floor

The ground floor houses the public spaces- the living and dining areas, a double-height kitchen featuring a lightwell, a separate spice kitchen, and the elderly parents’ bedroom.

First Floor

The first floor holds the bedrooms for the younger couple and their child, along with a family lounge and kitchen, while the second floor has three bedrooms, each with its individual outdoor recreational space. The basement dedicates itself to gatherings. Additionally, it features a lounge and entertainment area accompanied by a guest bedroom.

The courtyard transforms into a sunken court in the basement. Moreover, it incorporates volumetric shifts with height to interact with the interior spaces on the upper floors and effectively invite greenery indoors. On the ground floor, it is a semi-covered verandah with a water feature that extends from the living room.

Second and Third Floor

On the second and third stories, it extends into an outdoor jacuzzi and covered terraces and gardens. As a result, the volumetric expansions on each floor have dynamic transitional spaces that simultaneously mediate openness. Additionally, it allows for more effective interactions between the older and younger family generations.

Exterior Openings

The exterior openings—especially on the upper levels—strategically puncture the facade to achieve a sense of visual and acoustic seclusion. The vistas framed by these openings were also not left up to chance.

The first-floor windows align with the top of the tree line around the home, while other punctures in the cuboidal structure frame the nearby Gurudwara and the distant hills.

The larger openings face north while the smaller ones face south. The home, in addition, features deep verandahs working in tandem with the openings to lower the home’s cooling loads.

Material

Composite RCC and locally available brick have been employed to build the home, with an emphasis on regional construction practices. Additionally, the exposed brickwork has been laid using an improvised rat-trap bond to create cavity walls. Thus, ensuring thermal insulation as well as minimizing traffic noise. The traditional brick bond is modified by repositioning singular brick units, thereby resulting in rhythmic patterns on the facades.

The use of controlled apertures in its envelope and liberal internal open spaces allows Residence 91 to experiment with the versatility of the courtyard and the dynamic relationship between the occupants and the outdoors. Moreover, the design’s inward-looking character aims to catalyze familial relationships with an exterior that quietly breaks rank with its surroundings.

Fact File

Designed by: Charged Voids

Project Type: Residential Architecture Design

Project Name: Residence 91

Location: Chandigarh

Year Built: 2021

Built-up Area: 8500 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Aman Aggarwal

Team Design Credits: Swati Agarwal, Akash Purshit & Dushyant Singh

Photograph Courtesy: Niveditaa Gupta

Manufacturers: Grohe, ALCOI India Private Limited, Ambiance Furniture, Aquaint, Asian Paints, Bharat Bricks, Daikan, Gagan Handloom, MANISH, Osram, PANCHKULA, Rohit Sehgal

Structural Engineer: Pankaj Nanda

Lighting Designers: Ruchika Singhal

Electrical: Rajinder Singh

Civil Engineers: Consort Builders

HVAC: AV Engineers

Source: Archdaily

Firm’s Instagram Link: Charged Voids

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