Minimal Living and Sustainable Dwelling | Dipen Gada & Associates

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A daily mundane activity of crumpling paper waste and disposing, became the seed for inspiration in this individualistic façade design. The corten steel ornamental façade is an integration of organically formed creases and a meticulous rice paper cutting method. An engaging take on this façade is its forms, analogous to unwrapping a crumpled piece of paper which narrates uncertainty and exclusivity, of how no 2 wrinkles could be the same, stirring playful sciography inside the home. This visual grammar of the façade also continues in the interiors and makes for a quaint, minimal living. ~Yamini Vaswani

Minimal Living and Sustainable Dwelling | Dipen Gada & Associates

Visit: Dipen Gada & Associates

Exterior

The front is facing to East in all the 6 houses and we do not want to miss out on the opportunity to play with sunlight. We wanted to create bold statement and so we have decided to play with expose concrete block holding perforated screen which enables to give good privacy to the front bedroom at the same time play of light and ventilation and a sense of minimal living.

Screen is specially designed to give a crumbles paper feel i.e. every time a paper is crumbled different types of designed are formed and thus through that; design in every house is different. It creates a sciography in the front are and its openable on sliding folding system. The material used is corten steel look a like ACP panel on the metal framing.

Foyer / Entrance

Since the houses are very small, foyer is part of living room leading to dining area having shoe unit which serves the purpose as casual sitting also.

Living Room

It is cute and comfortable on the East side with the needful sitting and holds nice Indian art in each house. We have kept expose ceiling with precisely designed lights right from beginning.

Dining and Staircase

Next to living room is the area holding staircase on S wall with open to sky cut out and unique exposed concrete wall in each house which creates magical impact with its play of sunlight on the wall. In North East corner of dining area we have accommodated nice puja area along with accessories table for dining room.

We have casted RCC staircase which floats between landing to landing having jodhpur stone as a trade. Dining is in the middle of this area open towards the N wall which gives feeling of extension of dining area. Each dining floor we have tried different yellow kota inlay which looks like “Galicha” underneath each table. All 6 houses have different pattern of “Galicha”.

First Floor

First floor we have crafted with 2 bedrooms, 1 in front and 1 in back. In between double heighted lounge space in 3 houses which have 4 bedrooms each and single heighted lounge space in another 3 houses which have 5 bedrooms each.

Second Floor

Second floor is having 1 bedroom at the back side and terrace in the front in 3 houses having 4 bedrooms each and 2 bedrooms in each side in another 3 houses having 5 bedrooms each.

Basement

Basement is having home theatre on 1 side and junk room storage on other side with lounge in the middle. Each house having different art embedded in the casting concrete which gives a different character to each house. We have planned home theatre in basement with the partial stone cladding and partial fabric. We have played with bold colors to give a nice vibrant feel and elements of minimal living.

Bedrooms

All the other 3 or 4 bedrooms are designed in front and back, facing to E side in the front and W side in the back. All are compact but with sufficient storage, dressing and toilet space.

Each bedroom is having a glass balcony on the N wall side which allows them to move out under the sky without compromising on privacy.

The bedrooms which are facing to E have one more unique character as an openable screen which allows them to have partial vision towards the road side at the same time giving them good privacy from the road vision. Thus, they can open up the screen as and when required to enhance the light and view. The sciography which comes out of the screen gives goose bumps when it falls from different angles.

The screen is designed with a lot of trial and error to achieve a look of crumbled paper which changes in each of the house to create a feature in the elevation. This gives a beautiful sciography in the morning hours which keeps changing with sun travelling from East to West. This gives an energy with a twist in each of front room. Also gives a good reflection in mirror finished kota stone adopted in entire house.

Conclusion

We have tried to give justice to all the houses and environment which gives a warmth of a soulful living by using all the materials as much subtle as possible. Planning is also so simple which gives ease to day to day living and maintenance.