Apartment exterior Uses Aluminum Horizontal Facade | Plan Loci
Designed by plan loci, Apartment 143 block is born out of rational considerations. While maximizing floor space, the facade breaks its own apparent monotony with strict geometries that do not reveal their underlying discipline. The sinuous grey metal on the outside celebrates the industrial horizontal aluminum facade, while not betraying the inner layer of timber-framed fenestrations which make its occupants feel the intimacy and warmth of a home. Three distinct layers of alternating planes in its balconies partly shade and partly illuminate its interiors for the west-facing plot. The windows and openings are full lengths, allowing uninterrupted access to the front of every unit. The extreme verticality is broken by the basic ordering element as horizontal lines.
The architecture attempts to draw interest from the street while the play of light and shadow humanizes its scale when seen from up dose. The exteriors use grey aluminum horizontal louvers fixed on a steel frame. The doors and windows are in the wood. The metallic perforated façade protects the warm wooden layer inside.
The challenge was the narrow small plot where the developer’s requirement was to create a 3 bedroom spacious apartment. Further, there was a need of flexibility as each buyer could differ in requirements. This was handled in the interiors by using partition based systems for the kitchen and the third bedroom. Hence. a buyer could modulate the spaces as per his/her needs. The facade is west facing with a lot of sunlight all day long. The plot sits right on a road which is one of the main arteries of the plotted housing. The apartments needed protection from the traffic while having the opportunity to come out in the open in good weather.
The grey aluminum horizontal louvers façade – a unified solution – protects the built form from the heat, provides privacy to the balconies from the traffic on the road, and acts as a railing as well. The balconies are angular and are flipped around from the ground to the top white also receding back. Two framed louver systems join in as a protection layer on every floor while continuing to flip around and receding in the same rhythm.
Architects: Plan Loci
Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India
Category: Residential
Architect in Charge: Vikas Gandhi, Gauri S. Gandhi
Area: 1800.0 ft2
Project Year: 2015
Photographs: Saptarshi Sanyal
Source
This home is envisioned as a quiet dialogue between space and stillness, where the in-between becomes as meaningful as the built. Every element is guided by the philosophy of restraint: not to fill space, but to shape experience. It’s a home designed to breathe, to hold pause, and to allow the rhythms of family life […]
For architect duo Rakshanda Moog and Dev Thakkar of Den Studio, designing their first home (and debut interior project) came together the way most meaningful things do. Gradually and instinctively. “We started with minimalism,” they say, “but somewhere along the way, the house asked for more character.” Perched on an upper floor with unobstructed views […]
Nestled within a tranquil urban setting, Earthy Enclave stands as a testament to earthy houses and contemporary design that intertwines warmth, functionality, and artistry. This residence is not merely a structure but a narrative, a home sculpted by emotions and aesthetics, where every design decision balances intuition with intention. From the outset, the homeowner’s desire […]
From the very first glimpse, this home makes a quiet yet assertive statement — a story of considered elegance woven through the interplay of textures, geometry, and an emotive material palette. It isn’t just a residence, but a journey of values, and a deliberate pause from the chaos of urbanity. A poetic 4 bedroom design […]
Referred by his cousin, who initially approached us for a large residential bungalow, Dilip Jain sought our expertise for his newly purchased 4 BHK luxury apartment in Akota. While the builder had completed the civil work for the kitchen and bathrooms, the client was unsatisfied with the final results. We took the initiative to transform […]
The Wabi Sabi Interior design of this residence was done in 71 days, including designing & execution. Contrary to our standard practice of a step-by-step design process, the process here was pretty fluid & more based on intuitions, visualizations, sketches & discussions. Only sketches were made, which proceeded to working drawings; no 3D visualization was […]
AMOGH 18 reflects AURA DESIGN HAUS’s core design ethos: to create spaces that are as timeless as they are contemporary. The project is a testament to the belief that minimal interiors, when thoughtfully executed, can be both warm and expressive. It’s a residence where sophistication meets simplicity, and where every detail is an invitation to […]
In the heart of a lush Ahmedabad neighborhood, a bare-shell duplex flat is transformed into a soulful sanctuary by Aura Design Atelier. Titled The Layered Narrative, this 2500 sq ft Indian apartment balances warmth, restraint, and personality, interweaving the lives of its residents through materials, light, and spatial flow. From the onset, the home reflects […]
Imagine this for a design brief: Design an apartment for 3 generations. The family’s young kids have an endless love for the sea and the sky, grandparents’ sensibilities are deeply rooted in traditional Indian styles, and the young parents are all about modern minimalism. The home has to integrate these diverse styles through eclectic interior […]
The Juhu Beach Apartment revamp project, executed by Ikshana Design Studio, was an ambitious transformation aimed at redefining a small yet cozy residence into a contemporary, light-filled home. The objective was to create a space that felt expansive and seamlessly connected to its coastal surroundings, all while maintaining the existing property. Given a reasonable budget, […]