India Houzz Tour: A Brick Bungalow That Celebrates Light & Shade
An abundance of brick and metal trellises creates a spatial experience that is constantly evolving in this Delhi home
Vinita Kunnath
30 June 2021
A Houzz India contributor, freelance writer, lover of the internet, travel, funny blogs and all things off-beat, with an eye for good taste and aesthetics. Home, not clothes, maketh a man.....or woman.
A Houzz India contributor, freelance writer, lover of the internet, travel, funny... More
The homeowners found Delhi-based HomesbyDesign through Houzz and approached the firm with a brief for an ‘unpretentious getaway home that offered a variety of indoor and outdoor spaces’. It was important to them that both the architecture and the landscape collectively formed a holistic ensemble.
Lakshmi Chand Singh and Rahoul Singh, co-founders of HomesbyDesign, chose brick as the predominant building material. Between the profuse use of bricks and metal pergolas, there is a constant play of sun, shade and shadow, thereby defining an aesthetic that is at once dynamic and static. The project consists of four structures that define its spatial character – a circular guard room, a cuboidal pump room (not seen here) and two residential blocks.
Lakshmi Chand Singh and Rahoul Singh, co-founders of HomesbyDesign, chose brick as the predominant building material. Between the profuse use of bricks and metal pergolas, there is a constant play of sun, shade and shadow, thereby defining an aesthetic that is at once dynamic and static. The project consists of four structures that define its spatial character – a circular guard room, a cuboidal pump room (not seen here) and two residential blocks.
Images by Suryan Dang and Rahoul B. Singh
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their two sons and their respective families
Location: New Delhi, India
Year built: 2020
Size: Site area 6780 square metres; built up area 400 square metres; landscaped/ trellis areas 750 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a powder room
Design firm: HomesbyDesign, part of RLDA design l architecture l research
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their two sons and their respective families
Location: New Delhi, India
Year built: 2020
Size: Site area 6780 square metres; built up area 400 square metres; landscaped/ trellis areas 750 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms and a powder room
Design firm: HomesbyDesign, part of RLDA design l architecture l research
The external walls and the façade of the house form a terracotta canvas made up of brick and space. “The masonry walls are defined by a series of projections that shade the wall, hence contribute towards keeping it cool,” says Rahoul.
“The brick projections, which are denser at the bottom and more sparse as they rise, are organised in three equally spaced bands, providing both pattern and shade, and collectively work as an environmentally passive cooling device.”
Find a local architect who can work with you to realise your unique home design
Find a local architect who can work with you to realise your unique home design
The home is accessed from an opening on the east side, which leads to the main entrance through a circular courtyard.
“The multiple types of brick coursing along generate shadows at various times of the day and year. They simulate the warp and weft of a fabric, albeit a terracotta fabric that is both wall and screen, permeable and impermeable,” says Lakshmi.
“The building expands and contracts as it opens up to the courtyards and gardens that both envelope and inhabit it. One is both a part of, and a part from, the surrounding landscapes,” says Rahoul.
The main entrance opens into a foyer through which one can see through the trellis courtyard to a residential block. “The presence of a metal trellis and trees further contributes towards creating a ‘sense of place and space’, while casting graphic and abstract shadows on the walls,” says Lakshmi.
The trellis courtyard has bleacher steps leading to the roof at one end.
At the other end lies the swimming pool, beyond which is the landscaped garden that slopes upwards (with earth used from the excavation of the swimming pool and the building’s foundations).
The swimming pool is strategically located at the junction of the two residential blocks, which are connected by an overhead trellis. It’s placed in such a way that it serves to mediate between the built mass and the landscape, and doubles as a water reservoir for evaporative cooling, which is another facet of the building’s design strategy.
A right turn from the entrance foyer takes one to the living areas of the house, which consist of a living room and a casual family room overlooking a large neem tree.
The living room features an exposed-brick wall in keeping with the ethos of the house. Patterned cement tiles have been placed at the centre of the room to simulate a dhurrie (a handwoven rug); the same strategy has been used in different parts of the house as well.
An internal courtyard visually connects the living and dining spaces, while ensuring that the landscape is an integral part of any axis through the house.
The dining space is a simple but elegant area with cage-like pendant lights adding an element of design.
Just beyond the dining room is the kitchen, which overlooks the gardens. Seamless white cabinets and an island bench in wood make up this minimalist space.
A circular guardroom in trademark brick serves as an architectural folly on the edge of the gardens. Sitting amid a copse of trees, it’s a defining element in the manicured landscaped.
Your turn
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Not quite had your fill of great global design? Check out this Italian Houzz Tour: A Medieval City Wall Creates a Unique Home
Your turn
What do you love about this home? Tell us in the Comments below. And if you enjoyed this story, like it, save the images and join the conversation.
More
Not quite had your fill of great global design? Check out this Italian Houzz Tour: A Medieval City Wall Creates a Unique Home
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I love it... I thought it was a bit 'brutal' at first but as you explore the interplay of light and experience the way the spaces and movement of the house mirror this interplay, it becomes quite a lively overall space. With the integration of water (the pool) and the softening influence of grass and trees, it's even more fascinating and it all becomes very inviting... yeah, inviting! Unpredictable crossovers of planes and tonal engagement add mystery to practicality. Strange beauty.
This is an amazing house, well done to both the architects and the craftsmen
wonderful!!