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This Eco-Friendly Home Naturally Withstands Harsh Climates in Gujarat | BandukSmith Studio

Perched on the edge of town, along a buffer of potato farmlands, is an eco-friendly home, a residence, Shoonya (meaning zero), designed for a young family. The brief was to design a house that would naturally withstand the harsh climate conditions of northern Gujarat and create various scales of openness within it. In response to these aspirations, the project balances experimental design methods with traditions of the neighbourhood and locally available construction skills, materials, and knowledge.

Editor’s Note: “Embracing the vast potato farmlands, ‘Shoonya’ locates itself as a timeless piece of tradition and invention. Wrapped in lime, brick, and steel, it emerges organically from the farmlands like a sculpture, playing with light and air. This home is a shelter and a story, along with earthy tones, sunlit openings, solar power, and local wisdom.” ~ Anusha Sridhar

This Eco-Friendly Home Naturally Withstands Harsh Climates in Gujarat | BandukSmith Studio

eco-friendly home

The protective house uses thick walls, insulated slab strategies, and smartly controlled openings to shield its inhabitants from the hot summer sun. The plan faces the entrance on the southern side, with potato farmlands stretching along the northern end.

eco-friendly home

eco-friendly home

eco-friendly home

Design Strategies

The design is revealed through solar strategies of closed mass on the south and open terraces for transparency on the northern side, strategic cutouts where light and shadow can play, and walls of different materials and porosities.

eco-friendly home

eco-friendly home

eco-friendly home

The house is constructed through a combined structural system; with load bearing external walls and an internal frame structure.

eco-friendly home

eco-friendly home

eco-friendly home

Material Used

Lime plastered walls, exposed brick jaali (screen) facades, steel frame fenestrations, and flowing terrazzo flooring come together to bring coolness into the space and form a sense of familiarity.

In the earthy tones of the built house, the furniture and fabricated staircase add a pop of color and eccentricity. Shoonya is powered through solar panels,  installed on the terrace.

Fact File

Designed by: BandukSmith Studio

Project Type: Residential Architecture Design

Project Name: Shoonya House

Location: Deesa, Gujarat

Year Built: 2021

Built Up Area: 3659.73 Sq.ft

Principal ArchitectsSachin Bandukwala & Melissa Smith

Design Team: Nabajyoti Dutta Choudhury, Hiral Kandoi, Mudit Tikmani

Photograph Courtesy: Vinay Panjwani

Manufacturers:  KG Tiles, Philips, Sanjari Glass Enterprise, Ziky Plaster- Lakhan Rathod

Structural Consultant: StrucArt Design Consultants

Carpenter: Mukesh Mevada

Client: Deepak Vardey

Source: Archdaily

Firm’s Website Link: BandukSmith Studio

Firm’s Instagram Link: BandukSmith Studio

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