The name ‘One dot five’ of this house stands for the duplex designed with one and a half portion of built space for the owners and the rest for the tenants. With a plot size of 40’x 60’, the site is located in the residential area of Saroor nagar in Hyderabad, a once quiet zone, now facing the egress of an ever-growing urban densification reducing its former green footprint. This scenario was instrumental towards the integration of several green pockets within the design. An added advantage to the site – a view of a lush green park in front of it dictated one of the main requirements in the program which was to utilise this view as an extension of the interior environment. With a budget for only two levels of construction, designing a duplex with a tenant portion came with certain challenges that needed to be dealt with carefully without compromise on circulation.

The Unique Requirement of This Residence Presented the Opportunity to Work Closely With Nature : One Dot Five  | Squares Design Studio

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Adhering to the building bye-laws, the layout of the house is conceived with effective zoning and compliance to Vaastu. The ground level comprises of kitchen, living and dining spaces extending into a garden and a guest bedroom. The first level has the master bedroom and the kid’s bedroom separated by a viewing deck onto the road-side, facing the park. To achieve maximum space for the bedrooms on the first level, the main staircase is placed at the centre of the building aligned to the west wall. This arrangement helped create the garden in front of the dining area on the ground floor opposite to the staircase. The rest of the portion on the first level is designated for the tenants. An external staircase is then introduced to connect the tenant portion and the terrace of the main residence.

The entire residence is designed with a variety of light passages, creating a play of visually pleasant and well-lit spaces. The view of the garden is shared by the dining area with a French door, the kitchen with a slit window and the family lounge on the first level with a bay window. Likewise, the two bedrooms on the first level facing the road and the park have different openings, one with a sit-out and the other with a bay window, both separated by a landscaped transition pocket with a sky light.

The different types of light channels paved way towards the inception of an interesting play of forms in terms of volumetric configuration of the structure and details, that defined the character of the residence with a balance of function and aesthetics. The skylights on the first floor up to the mid-landing of the staircase are designed to bring in light as the west wall was too close to the neighbouring building to house a suitable opening. The staircase railing is designed to double up as a planter wall and a focus feature. The double-height garden is treated with a layered brick elevation leading it to the parametrically designed brick lattice details at the main door and the side elevations for a timeless touch.

The unique requirement of this residence presented the opportunity to work closely with nature. The process of connecting the indoor spaces with the outdoors is achieved through a well-conceived and user-oriented design that encompasses the essence of One Dot Five residence to be a wholesome abode.

FACT FILE

Designed by :  Squares Design Studio

Project Type :  Residential

Project Name :  One Dot Five Residence

Location :  Saroor Nagar, Hyderabad

Year Built : 2018

Duration of project : 18 months

Built up : 2980 sq.ft

Project Cost Appx :  1Cr

Principal Architect : Hemalatha.P, Samanth.N, Ramana Kumar.P

Team Design Credits : Naveen K, Manohar, Balajee

Photograph Courtesy : Ravi Varma

Products and Materials : Finishes – Heritage textures | Wallcovering / Cladding – Wirecut bricks | Lighting – Osram lights | Sanitaryware – Jaquar  | Windows  – Magnus , UPV | Furniture – Pepperfry | Flooring – Kajaria | Kitchen –Pepperfry | Paint – Asian Paints | Wallpaper – Homestock India | Hardware – Lovendeco

Consultants for the Project : Civil ,Structure Engineers – Hamara Ghar

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