A few years back, Architect Ajay Urgunde, had designed a luxurious banquet hall, in Ahmedpur, for clients. This had received a lot of appreciation for its detailing, planning, and finishing. This led to the clients commissioning the architect with the contract of their architectural heritage home.

Preservation of Rich Architectural Heritage of Maharashtra for this Latur Home | Mooltatva Design Studio

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Transformation whilst respecting traditional features was the brief to be followed. It was to be a typical Wada setup, retaining all the possible traditional elements to be infused with modern elements that blend in with the existing features and extension of spaces.

The existing site had the setup of a typical Wada house, over 100 years old with load bearing walls> a built-form that evolved during the Maratha period. The Wada houses were the residences not only of the Peshwas but also of  those connected with the administrative system. These houses were the manifestations of the culture of that period.

In short a house cannot be called a Wada without the courtyards or chowks where all the rooms are built facing the courtyard.

A typical Wada house consists of theOsari: the transition space or verandah. Dewadi: A verandah for guards. Sadrecha Sopa: Open to courtyard used for administrative activities, usually in the first or central courtyard. Kacheri : Office: It is the administrative department in the first or central courtyard. Khalbhatkhana: Negotiation Room. It was a semi-public space where discussions/decisions took place. Diwankhana: Living room. Huge hall for formal meetings. Majghar: Middle room. From this part, the private area is segregated from the public area. Generally, women & family members use it. It is a private hall . Devghar: Prayer Room. Tijory : Treasury. Gotha: Cow-pen in the backyard of a house. Swayampak Ghar : Kitchen. Kothar: Storeroom

Though this home followed the traditional narratives of a Wada house, the windows in the existing home were not strategically placed. This gave an initial dark look to the entire space.  A design solution was devised following the layout directives of the Wada house. The rooms in the ground floor were mainly the public and semi-private spaces and were worked around the courtyard to pull in ample amount of natural light into all the spaces. The upper floor with the bedrooms followed the same pattern.

The spaces and interiors were designed with customized furniture primarily made at site. The service planning and layouts were over a century old and barely functional hence a new tactical service plan was executed keeping in mind efficiency, long-lasting and low maintenance strategy.

Restoration of the existing and refurbishing the antique elements, such as doors, windows, furniture and even utensils were carried out with great care. Today they form the highlight of the design in this architectural heritage home.

The rooms were planned in the ground and upper floor keeping in mind the functions and importance. Being a post-pandemic project, a good amount of focus was given to the common spaces shared in the house for the family to interact. The front façade was retained well in consonance with the traditional fabric to establish the context of rich cultural essence.

This was truly a successful exercise by architect Ajay Urgunde to strike a balance of tradition with transformation for his clients. The occupants are now a very happy family who live comfortably in this slice of history that they call home.

Fact File

Designed by: Mooltatva Design Studio

Project Type: Residence Architecture & Design

Location: Ahmedpur, Maharashtra

Project Name: Wada House

Principal Architect: Ajay. P. Urgunde

Team Design Credit: Minal. M. Niturkar, Ar. Sakshi Kotalwar & Sneha Lahoti

Project size: 3500 Sq.ft

Photograph Courtesy: PHX India/ Aditya Kulkarni

Firm’s Instagram Link: Mooltatva Design Studio

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