Contemporised Paraphrase Of a traditional house | 4th Axis Design Studio
We created a contemporised paraphrase of a traditional house with rooms around a courtyard, where the household remains closely knit around familial ties yet each member enjoys the privileges suited to the Maliwal family’s modern lifestyle.
Courtyards – the charming tool that served as the heart that tied up various units of the joint families residing in traditional Indian households, even as it worked to control the climatic comfort within – have a proven timeless value.
This very tool helps us create an infinitely spacious, well-lit and airy home for the Maliwals’ joint, albeit small, family, out of an exterior articulated in a mass of cubes.
The residence houses a family with two sons, one of who is married, who require a home with spaces that will keep all members connected while also simultaneously enabling each member to enjoy their own private spaces.
The ground floor rooms are laid out around a vast covered courtyard with a large rectangular skylight fitted with a grid of decorative glass tiles that lets sunlight flood in to light up every corner, even as the harsh heat is kept at bay. A seamless connection across all spaces is ensured by totally avoiding walls in the interface of the surrounding rooms with this courtyard.
The minimal and elegant dining table placed at the head of the court negotiates through a breakfast counter with a large and neat open kitchen, which is adequately concealed from direct view thanks to its corner location.
The living room enjoys accentuated volume due to an enhanced height coupled with continual bright white surface finishes embellished with subtle slit lights and minimal, clean lined furnishings.
The wave form of a panel of wooden battens that screens various entrances to a bedroom, a powder room and the stairs also serves as an elegant backdrop to the landscaped square at the courtyard’s centre.
A pooja room paired with a study finds seclusion behind a glass door, next to which the only strip of wall in the court bears metallic miniatures of athletic humans scaling its imposing height.
More common areas like the hobby and family rooms have been amply accommodated on the next floor which, having an intimate height of 8 feet, slips into the rear portion of the layout almost inscrutably.
These upper level spaces overlook the central courtyard and dining area over a glass railing thanks to which visual linkages now extend across the expanse as well as the various levels. The marble floor finish which has been carried through the generously wide stairway to both floors helps to enhance the feeling of openness.
A few steps up from each of these informal mid-level spaces lead to the three bedroom suites on the top-most level. Conveniently tucked into private corners of the home’s layout, each of these five bedrooms on both floors comes with its own attached walk-in wardrobe and washroom. Comfortable, richly finished contemporary furnishings have been used to caringly detail each of the bedrooms.
The use of simple tools like a central light filled courtyard and phased outward progression of layers from common to personal spaces using a little help from split levels has yielded very satisfying results for both client and designer.
We were able to deliver on the optimal balance between connectivity and seclusion, common and private, minimal and luxurious. At the same time, climatic control goals were addressed by having minimal apertures on the sunny western face by lining it with services and stairs.
The exterior spaces have been neatly divided between manicured lawns, planters with blooms, elements of flowing water and paved pathways. A larger gate opens to a driveway leading up to the covered carpark, while a smaller gate lets a paved walkway lead to the main entrance which, emphasised in a flaming yellow cube, stands out among the grey mass of the rest of the cubes forming the façade.
The quarters for the house help are discreetly accommodated in the corner behind the carpark, and a semi-covered space that falls on the western front has been fitted with a decked floor and sporting graphics on the wall to be utilised for sports and games – an extension, in fact, of the garden in front of it.
Architects: 4th Axis Design Studio, Pune, India
Lead Architects : Ar. Sagar Mundada, Ar. Amit Kasliwal,
Design Team: Pushkarni, Prashant , Ankita, Shriya, Sunil
Office Website: www.4thaxis.in
Contact Email: 4ads@4thaxis.in
Project Year: 2018
Built up Area: 6200 sqft
Plot Area: 10,000 sqft
Location: Nanded, Maharashtra state, India
Photographer: Hemant Patil
Conceived as a dialogue between architecture and landscape in Alibag, CASAVIVA transforms the house into a sequence of spaces where nature becomes an integral part of everyday life. This Home In Alibag Is Conceived As A Dialogue Between Architecture & Landscape | SHROFFLEoN Design Brief Designed for a family seeking a calm and timeless residence, […]
Some homes begin with a drawing, and The Saffron Verandah began with an orchard. In the mango-growing landscapes of Shoolagiri, a quiet hamlet in northern Tamil Nadu, the land has settled into its own rhythm over generations. Rows of mature mango trees stretch across nearly three-quarters of an acre, their broad canopies tempering the southern […]
The house is conceived as a metaphor for the valley it inhabits. The design borrows the language of a bustling street skyline, stretching the home along a corner site so it frames the valley and its lake. Three linear bays, offset vertically and linked by corridors, open the plan to filtered western light and cross […]
The site is located in Ahilyanagar town of Maharashtra, with a design brief of 7,000 sq feet, while the house had to be designed for the hot and dry climate, which responds carefully to extreme temperatures, intense sunlight, and low humidity. The design focuses on reducing heat gain, improving natural ventilation, and creating comfortable indoor spaces with […]
“Pravah” — A House That Breathes is envisioned as the main concept of this home revolves around a fluid, light-filled home where architecture becomes a continuous experience of movement, air, and connection. Located in Pal Gamtal, Surat, the project is a residential redevelopment on a 1,850 sq.ft. plot within a dense urban fabric. The site, […]
Editor’s Note: There’s a quiet clarity in homes that are shaped by real, everyday needs. Alcove feels like a thoughtful response to just that, balancing openness with comfort in a setting rooted in tradition. Moving away from a dense, older home, this residence embraces light, air, and simplicity while still holding on to its Kerala […]
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]
Architecture font choices go beyond style—they shape how your work is perceived. From portfolios to presentations, the right architecture font instantly communicates clarity, precision, and personality. As architects, we design not just with space but with every detail, including typography. Selecting a strong architecture font shows your commitment to visual storytelling and design consistency. In […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]
Plants for home garden, apart from making houses look more beautiful and inviting, add health and calmness to them. Having any kind of indoor plant, a herb plant or a flowering plant adds some value to your decor and the quality of the space. Always choose plants that will flourish in your space and climate. […]