A House In India Built As A Stone Monolith
In order for a house to truly feel rooted to its location there has to be a special connection on some level between the building and its surroundings. Each project is different in that sense. This house from Ahmedabad, in India stays connected to its surroundings by featuring a specific array of materials, finishes and colors chosen for this project in particular. The house was designed and built by SPASM in 2018.
The architects chose that the main material be Dhrangadhra stone sourced from local quarries. This great source of local stone inspired the team to want to clad the entire body of the house as a monolith. They ultimately clad the structure in vertical slats of stone, giving it a simple and at the same time interesting look and a nice aesthetic. The stone has a beautiful bone coloring and it also ages well, two characteristics that enrich the house’s character and look.
As far as the organization of the internal spaces is concerned, the house has a cross-shaped floor plan which is very practical in the sense that it allows good natural ventilation and a well0defined distribution of the spaces plus a good amount of privacy for all the different functions. In addition to all that, this organization also improves the connection between the indoor and the outdoor areas.
Apart from the array of materials and the natural finishes and colors used throughout the house, the building also dialogues with its surroundings through a series of transitional spaces which connect the indoor to the outdoor. These spaces are situated all along the edges of the cross-shaped floor plan. Their design is a bit more playful than that of the internal areas, including features such as this hanging daybed, the oversized decorative planters, the beautiful sculpture of a monk which seems to float over the pond or the tree which grows through the perforated roof. Further more, a roof garden frames the courtyards and reinforces the connection.
Of course, we can’t ignore the huge windows which let in large amounts of natural sunlight along with views of the gardens, the water features and the patios which serve as extensions of the internal living spaces. While that’s definitely wonderful, the light is particularly bright and can be a bit harsh to the eyes which is why the designers were careful to introduce a series of dark-colored surfaces all throughout the interior which helps reduce the glare effect.
Rich wood furniture and surfaces give the rooms an elegant and welcoming feel and play with the characteristics of contemporary architecture, allowing the house and its overall design to be sensible to the site and the lifestyle of the owners. This design direction also helps to give these spaces luxurious looks.
The spaces are designed in relation to their location, the views, the local vernacular as well as the lifestyle and preferences of the users. They share in common a palette of colors based on neutrals and an array of finishes and textures meant to emphasize the natural beauty of the materials involved in the project.
The bathrooms are particularly spectacular, although their elegance and luxurious decors are not totally unexpected. We love how spacious they are and the fact that they put the spotlight on the materials and their natural texture and coloring.