Khwaab-The  Terrace Garden

[a private terrace garden, Kolkata, India]

Design Team: Ar. Shubham Jaiswal and Ar. Rishav Chakravarty

completed in March 2021.

Beautifully unique might be the phrase you would use to describe this place. This 1800 sqft terrace garden is a childhood dream that has come to life! Located on the 5th Floor [terrace] of a G+4 Existing Building at 13, Rowland Road, Kolkata, this terrace is just what the name suggests. Khwaab- the terrace garden is a beautiful private property that will serve the client’s extravagant nightlife. Ar. Rishav Chakravarty and Ar. Shubham Jaiswal took the challenge of creating something NAAYAAB!

As kids, we all dreamt of a sparkly, shiny castle, with gardens around it and a sky full of stars. And this terrace garden has all of our fantasies, captured on a single roof. And the design team of Naayaab [Co-labs] was successful in bringing it to reality. There is a beautiful asymmetrical glasshouse which is the lounge area and attached to it, there are sit-outs, plants, and everything beautiful. The glasshouse design is unique. None of the angles at the vertices are standard angles. Also, there are a total of 83 boxes that are created within the grid of this glasshouse structure, each of them is unique in shape and size, which beautifies the place like a charm. 

The project is simple yet difficult. Creating different spaces for different activities and different vibes within a very small site area is a challenge. Also, if noticed very carefully, there are different design elements and languages that occupy different areas across the entire space. A very subtle amalgamation has been achieved here to bring them all to unity. To maintain privacy vertical gardens have been created, which gives a very inside-outside vibe. But some parts have been kept clear to make room for stargazing. 

The colours are neutral, mostly greys and greens. But to bring a pop to this palette, the pipelines and wirings have been painted yellow. We love how the greens enclose the space like a glove but also enough open spaces are there to balance it out. The planters are customized and cast on-site to serve the best look for the project. WPC flooring was chosen for the entire space and the grass used is artificial store-bought for easy maintenance. 

Since the place is made for nightlife and relaxation, lighting plays an important role. Profile lighting has been used to light up the glasshouse from in the interior. The vertical garden, the pergola, and some other elements are the focal points of this design, which are brought to life with spotlights.

Bollards have been used on the upper level of the terrace garden. COBs for pantry, washroom, washbasin, and dining area on the lower level. Strip lights have been used under the granite in the dining area, the large planters, and also the treads of the steps leading to the service area of the terrace.

But beautiful things come with challenges too. If you live in Kolkata, you know how hot it can be in the city. And a glasshouse has the potential to become a giant oven in the Bengal summers. So, to keep the space cool the designers have installed ACs along with tinted films on the inside faces. This will reduce the temperature within the glasshouse by 40%. Plants have been also been hand-picked to sustain in the harsh summers of Kolkata.

It took almost 8 months to bring this NAAYAAB KHWAAB to life.

If you have a dream, you only have this life to make it come true!