This home borrows vernacular design elements & adopts a minimalistic approach with simple details, embracing an earthy material palette. This house is set amidst the solitude of the Tata Motors Senior Officer’s Colony in Pune. Well-grown trees and the chirping of birds characterize the place, where varieties of Champas dot the woods, Peltoforums turn the paths yellow as they fall, and the onset of spring is signaled by the pink Tabubeas.
Editor’s Note: “Embraced by trees and the chirping of birds, this residence in Pune adopts minimalism and borrows elements of vernacular architecture. Its earthy material selection and meticulous layout imbue the space with an aura of serene tranquillity. Every design element engages the user in a dialogue with the trees, water body and the captivating shadows.” ~Simran Khare
This Home Borrows Vernacular Design Elements | Silhouette Architects & Designers
The design embraces an earthy material palette, borrows vernacular design elements & adopts a minimalistic approach with very simple details to characterize this peaceful home.
Several pauses or transitions punctuate the built form, forming a narrative that harmonizes with the surrounding environment.
This home is about the opportunities to take a pause or a ‘viraam” to experience & enjoy the little gifts of nature as the sun peeps in, the shadows play, the rain drops, the bird chirps & the surrounding trees reflect on the shimmering water.
The Veranda in front engages in a dialogue with the well-grown Peltoforum trees all along just outside the front compound wall, through their reflections on the water body and the patterns they create on the green lawn as the sun dapples through their leaves.
The courtyard is another major pause that communicates with the sky & surrounding trees. It brings in patterns of sunrays & shadows on its double height walls. It altogether comes right up to the Family space on the second floor that overlooks this courtyard.
The high wall at the upper level, becomes a screen dotted with square punctures to hide the neighbor’s home. This allows a view of the greenery beyond.
The study nook at the mid landing level by the existing neem tree also overlooks into this courtyard through a Jharokha. All these elements together team up, to enhance the experience of these spaces through their interrelation with each other & ultimately with the outside.
The indoors are about a continuous dialogue with the surroundings, as space flows fluidly between the various volumes. These spaces are characterized by a restrained material palette. The textures in subtle grey & white act as a backdrop to complement the predominant red of the bricks & the warm brown of Teak. Cane is used as an accent.
The client’s collection of some beautiful old pieces of furniture, & artefacts have found prominent places amidst the new. Tribal art works, cane lamps along with traditional weaves of fabric complete the larger canvas that speaks of the context & also about what the clients like.
Right orientation of openings ensures cross ventilation of breeze. This further rises up to escape through the interesting composition of punctures at the uppermost level. Hence, keeps the indoors comfortable & cool.
Fact FileDesigned by: Silhouette Architects & Designers
Project Type: Residential Architecture & Interior Design
Project Name: Viraam
Location: Pimpri, Pune
Year Built: 2024
Duration of the project: 3 Years
Plot Area: 9,250 Sq.ft
Built-up Area: 5000 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Ar. Shebanti Chakraborty
Team Design Credits: Ar. Aniket Tayade, Ar. Aditya Galinde, Ar. Kunal Kangankar, Shilpa Chaudhary & Ar. Nikhil Gaikwad
Photograph Courtesy: Atul Kanetkar
Products / Materials / Vendors: Cladding & Exposed Brick Walls – Wire Cut Bricks from Deepraj Enterprises / Lighting – Customized & Handmade / Doors and Partitions – Carpentered at Site with Salvaged wood / Sanitaryware – Kohler / Windows – ORNATE & SOLISS Windows / Furniture – Carpentered at Site / Flooring – Tiles : Milagro Ceramica Pvt. Ltd. / Kitchen – Carpentered at Site with Hardware from Hafele / Paint – Asian paints / Artefacts – Family’s Collection / Wallpaper – Composed inhouse in our Studio / Hardware – Hafelle & Hettich from TARA Interio
Consultants for the Project: Civil – Silhouette Architects & Designers (Beyond Foundation/Footing), Authority Sanction & Basic drawings by SVN Associates / Interior Designers – Silhouette Architects & Designers / Landscape Architects – Silhouette Architects & Designers / Structure Engineers – S.M. Kanitkar / Environmental & Sustainability Consultants – Integrated with Design Inhouse / Contractors – Vinod Vesanekar / Carpentry Contractor – Sawai Ram Suthar / Painting Contractor – Sirpat Sahani / Tile & Stone Mason – Chandaram Kumawat / Electrical Contractor – Deepak Kolape
Firm’s Instagram Link: Silhouette Architects & Designers
Firm’s Facebook Link: Silhouette Architects & Designers
For Similar Project>>> A Home that Exudes an Organic Lifestyle, with Spaces Specifically Designed to be Meditative
“Viraam,” a 4000 sq ft house design that embodies its literal translation: “a pause.” The vision is to create a sanctuary for relaxation, introspection, and to escape from the constant demands of daily life – an urban void for personal retreat. This 4000 sq ft House Design Unfolds Calm Lifestyle | Avani Mudra Design Reimagining […]
The facade of this Indian contemporary house design strikes a careful balance between solids and voids, with sculpted forms that reveal the inner workings of the space. The design plays with light and shadow, creating visual depth and intrigue from the exterior. The form resembles a cuboid that has been scooped out, while the outer […]
This 5 storey building takes inspiration from ancient haveli architecture. “Hailing from north India, the family held deep nostalgia for haveli, large residences with communal courtyards called chowks, projecting balconies called jharokhas and intricate brick or stone lattice screens called jaalis, vernacular to many western and northern regions of India,” said SJK Architects partner Vaishali […]
Set in the serene landscape of Nashik, the Dabholkar Residence by GDA is a home, embracing stone clad walls. Here, tradition and contemporary design exist in harmony. Designed to reflect the family’s deep connection to tradition and art while embracing the style of contemporary living, it is a space where architectural details, heritage furniture, artwork […]
This remodelling project aimed to revitalise a load-bearing house while respecting its original integrity and adapting it to contemporary needs. The design approach prioritised minimal structural intervention, allowing the existing framework to guide spatial reconfiguration. Careful consideration was given to preserving the load-bearing walls, which formed the backbone of the original construction. Openings were strategically […]
Redefining Indian temple architecture, the relocation of the existing shrine due to a new residential project presented an opportunity to design a space that seamlessly integrates tradition with contemporary needs. The given 400 sq. ft. site was envisioned not merely as a shrine to Lord Datta, a local deity, but as a vibrant community space, […]
Nestled within a 30×40 ft plot is the compact house design in Banashankari 6th Stage, Bengaluru. This residence for the Ellappans, reimagines traditional Indian living in a contemporary, spatially dynamic form. Designed for a family of three- Mr. Ellappan, his wife, and their teenage son- the house expresses a deep connection to vernacular roots while […]
This multi generational home is a testament to the ability of the design practice to blend aesthetic appeal with practical functionality. Keeping environmental sustainability and the welfare of the community at the forefront, Bhowal designed a home that was truly ahead of its time. His visionary approach and the Design Consortium’s expertise in providing a […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]
Pillar design is a cornerstone of architectural elegance, seamlessly blending structural support with aesthetic appeal. Our blog, “50 Best Pillar Design Inspirations,” celebrates this essential element, showcasing a variety of styles from classical Doric and Ionic to contemporary and avant-garde innovations. Whether you’re an architect, interior designer, or a design enthusiast, these pillar design inspirations […]