South City

Traditionally, the Indian family system has been associated with that of a joint family; in recent times, that has changed with each unit that is a part of the joint setup developing a specific requirement of space and privacy. The client brief necessitated a house for two brothers, on two adjoining plots. The problem was tackled with a different approach to the modern Indian family; two identical houses were designed which were joined together by means of balconies and a common compound area. This gave the two brothers independent houses to project their vision and maintain a connection between both spaces at the same time. With a unified facade, the two houses end up looking one.

The site has a tree in front of it, which was retained in order to endow the house with a character and a green frame that is visible from the road. Inheriting a site that was oriented in the north-south direction, the spatial planning has been enabled in a way that each space gets natural light in abundance. The ground floor accommodates the living, dining and parent’s bedroom, while the second floor accommodates three bedrooms. In order to bring in sufficient natural light, the common area on the first floor has a cut-out. The master bedroom is located on the southern side to let in the winter sun and is connected to a private 6 feet balcony.

The client wanted to have a modern-looking house, and therefore, the material used is brick with black Kadapa stone, with metal pergolas in the balcony unifying the two houses together. The brick wall is clad with modular bricks, making the walls 14 inches thick that keep the house cool, even during the extreme northern summer. The client brief targeted the green language, a key-value at AKDA; open spaces and connection with nature has been incorporated at varied levels with two gardens in the front and back of the house. A take on modern Indian joint family, the house sets a precedent for Indian homes today.