In the quiet town of Navsari, near Surat, we have crafted a 12,000 square ft family residence designed to reflect the harmony of architecture and engineering. This G+2 structure includes a thoughtfully laid-out foyer, vestibule, drawing room, living area, two kitchens, five bedrooms, a multipurpose room, a second-floor lounge, and a courtyard with a patio. Our approach has always been about marrying proportions and balance, drawing inspiration from master architects who understand that even a 25mm variation can shift the character of a space. In a time of visual consumption, we believe in guiding our clients through a journey of understanding the nuances of design and the life it brings to their home.

Challenges

A major challenge in this family residence has been integrating micro-level Vastu compliance while maintaining a clear sense of contextual modernity. Although we believe architecture should be informed by the natural elements—light, life, site, and context—our cultural roots often call for a different sensitivity. Amaltash is a blend of both, holding true to Le Corbusier’s notion that “A family residence is a myth to be lived in.” This project aims to embody this spirit, creating spaces that both preserve and shape new family traditions.

Orientation

To ensure the family residence is in harmony with Navsari’s climate, we’ve strategically designed the structure to mitigate harsh southern sunlight, especially in the living and drawing areas. There is a south-facing tropical garden that will flourish under the sun over the years, while patios protect interior spaces from glare. An 18-foot-high window system, with carefully crafted shutters, fills the rooms with natural, glare-free northern light. This is the essence of our design approach—more than just aesthetics, it’s about building a home that breathes with its surroundings.

We’ve integrated rainwater harvesting and solar power generation systems to make the family residence energy-efficient, while careful planning of southern and northern light ensures optimal natural illumination and ventilation throughout. Refined technology and mechanisms have enabled us to craft a home that is both functional and forward-thinking.

Custom Furniture

The family residence has also allowed us to engage deeply with the design of custom furniture for each room, aligning each piece with the overall narrative of the home. In our material choices, we’ve drawn inspiration from the beauty of locally – sourced Indian marble, particularly lesser-known varieties that often go unused but add a richness of colour, hue, and texture.

We have created custom patterns in local materials like Indian sandstone pavers and Indian granite for the patio, giving a tactile warmth and authenticity to the outdoor spaces. Together, these elements create a home that feels deeply rooted in its context.

Purpose-driven Design

Our vision for the Navsari Residence is rooted in purpose-driven design. We’ve crafted overhangs to protect from heat and allow for shaded seating nooks within the rooms. These spaces offer the warmth of a baithak while adding clean, built-in storage that avoids the clutter of unnecessary furniture.

The staircase, with its cantilevered flight, embodies our dedication to functional beauty. Dividing the patios of the drawing and living rooms creates a passage of six feet at the highest point, providing a cozy, inviting space on both sides under the staircase.

Solar Panels

One of the most interesting stories of the family residence is about integrating solar panels at a 14-degree south-facing angle, resulting in a naturally sloping structure above the second floor. This slope informed the architectural form of the lounge, allowing us to create a taller volume and incorporate a small mezzanine with a cozy bed, a library, and a small “Rapunzel” window that frames the sky.

Over time, this entire second-floor level evolved into an independent retreat within the house—a quiet space for the family to disconnect when needed. It is one of those instances where architectural decisions made for functional reasons open up unexpected spatial possibilities.

Landscape and Ecosystem

The landscape is imagined as a tropical micro-ecosystem – planted with local tree varieties that provide both shade and sun, positioned thoughtfully to nurture and grow with time. To reduce water consumption, we’ve avoided traditional lawns, instead creating shaded baithaks where clients can relax, connect, and simply be outdoors.

Rainwater Tank

The rainwater tank in this courtyard becomes the only hardscape surface. It provides a functional platform for picnics, morning chai, and evening banters under the trees. Pathways are filled with sand, referencing the textures of Navsari’s Dandi beach and adding a soft, natural movement to circulation. The south-facing greens will glow through the seasons. The patios frame these views and offer pockets of shade to experience the landscape more intimately. Thus, encouraging a quiet dialogue between home and habitat.

Integrating Details, Craft, and Collaborations

Our projects are always in a constant state of evolution. We stress being fluid. To create a collection of forms, shapes, and experiences that shape the space and get shaped by it. This is where different elements come together to create a distinct narrative. We work closely with our artisans at different stages of the projects, resolving and refining the details. Design is a way of life, and this is why we look to various aspects for inspiration.

Small details, like door handles, ceiling designs, and bathroom elements, are integrated with the context. This makes a home feel like a seamless extension of the client’s vision. Rather than filling the house with curated objects, each element is designed with context in mind. This offers a dialogue between space, function, and inhabitant. We see the home as a sanctuary where each room resonates with the client’s life and vision. Thus, capturing an essence that is timeless and rooted.

The Details

For us, architecture is sacred. Each detail is deliberate, each millimeter purposeful. There’s no need for adornment or embellishment when the architecture is thoughtful and precise. Our work seeks to achieve a balance of structure and service, of light and life. It leaves behind clean, uncluttered spaces that speak in their own quiet way. This is an urban home infused with art and craft from various parts of the country. Supporting craftsmen, where we are consciously building a collaborative circle of designers and artisans.

We have also tried to work with a lot of young product, light, and textile designers and even artists in this project. This has helped us create a stronger, ever-growing design community that thrives and supports each other. For us, architecture is sacred. Each detail is deliberate, each millimeter purposeful. There’s no need for adornment or embellishment when the architecture is thoughtful and precise.

Product design

Our work seeks to achieve a balance of structure and service, of light and life, leaving behind clean, uncluttered spaces that speak in their own quiet way. This is an urban home infused with art and craft from various parts of the country, supporting craftsmen, where we are consciously building a collaborative circle of designers and artisans. We have also tried to work with a lot of young product, light, and textile designers and even artists in this project, which has helped us create a stronger, ever-growing design community that thrives and supports each other. 

We’ve woven the same tones, hues, and colours throughout the entire home by engaging in thoughtful collaborations. Priyanka from Wicker Story has created a unique ceiling installation, while Harshita Jhamthani and LBH have designed custom lighting. The double-height living room features a 12-foot artwork from Shahenshah Mittal from Delhi. There is a folding partition screen from Raasleela Textiles, crafted using the traditional Sujani technique, which is a dying craft.

Detailed Designs

Mohana from Majja Design Studio has crafted wardrobe shutters with intricate cane mat weaving called Pattamadai. Thus, bringing in textures from a small village in Tamil Nadu. And so has Fatima from Glocal Weaves. She has created panels in Jamdani textiles for one of the other wardrobes. We have worked with a few artisans from Rajasthan for stone elements in the landscape. We also worked along with artwork from Morii and sculptures in ceramics by Keph Design Studio and House of Soko. A terrazzo swing and a dining table top by Rohan Shroff, and a light installation by Silvi Panchal. These collaborations allow us to establish a rooted, yet evolving design narrative that grows with each piece.

The Weight Of Craft

“Craft is generational, Design is intentional.” Craft carries the weight of generations, evolving through inherited skill, while design is a response to the present, always shifting. When the intellectual and the craftsman collaborate, they bridge time, forming a powerful symbiosis. Thus, bringing knowledge, technique, and intuition together to create something timeless, yet relevant.

Fact File

Designed by: Design Ni Dukaan

Project Type: Residential Architecture Design

Project Name: Amaltash House 

Year Built: 2024

Location: Navsari, Surat

Project Size: 12000 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Veeram Shah

Photograph Courtesy: Ishita Sitwala

Manufacturers:  LBH, Buttonmasala, Fazo , Glocal Weaves, HATSU, Harshita Jhamthani, Hemanshi Gandhi, House of Soko, Keph design studio, LBH x Harshita Jhamthani, Majja Design Studio, Monil, Monolith, Morii Designs, MuseMART, Muskan Jain, Nebula by Design ni Dukaan x Rohan Shroff, Objectry, Raasleela textiles, Rohan Shroff, +8

Landscape: Sanyogita Gaikwad, Soham Changediya

Plumbing Consultant: Techno Engineers

HVAC Consultants: Anjaria Associates

Structural Consultants: MSquare

Contractor: Sarjan Construction and Project Management

Source: Archdaily

Firm’s Website Link: Design Ni Dukaan

The Firm’s Instagram Link: Design Ni Dukaan

Firm’s Facebook Link: Design Ni Dukaan

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