Indigo architects is a collaborative studio practice, headed by Mausami and Uday Andhare, supported by a team of young professionals. We follow an integrated design approach incorporating architectural design, landscape planning and interior design into its fold. The design process seeks to resolve the various paradoxes between client needs and affordability, site conditions and programmatic dictates through intensive analyses, explorations, study models and sketches.
Find more about architect here.
About:
Koba house is situated on the banks of river Sabarmati, north of Ahmedabad, and part of Koba village. The site is part of an undulating landscape of silt mounds that stretch along either side of the Sabarmati river.
Program
The house was designed for a retired couple and their children who visit on weekends. The family entertains regularly and enthusiastically and the program responds by way of providing a variety of usages of spaces. Fundamental to the fit with this lifestyle, site and climatic context, thus, is the relationship between inside and outside.
Architectural response
The natural gradient towards the river has a balanced cut and fill to tuck the built form and to provide a visual barrier from the main approach.
The built form, comprises, a retaining wall that holds the excavated earth, forming a berm. The dining and bedroom spaces flank the sides of the central court, built in massive masonry walls.
The long sweeping verandah held between splayed exposed concrete end walls and supported by a light metal structure provides the shade and contrast.
The design uses a mix of defense (against the afternoon heat) and advance (towards the view) to achieve the fit. The house is aligned north east-south west with few walls exposed to the morning and afternoon sun. It backs up against (and cuts slightly into) an existing mound on site, which shields its north-western side from the sun. In addition, the service spaces- toilets, utilities, staircase etc- help insulate the living areas further.
An open courtyard is formed along a connecting passage between the kitchen-dining block and that housing the master bedroom.
The passage is completely open able to veranda and courtyard
