Space Dynamix has ensured that the home meant for a joint family in Ahmedabad, is flooded with natural light and breezes. A slick contemporary aesthetic flowing through the spaces both connects and demarcates them.
Ashutosh Wad and Manjunath Hathwar of Mumbai-based Space Dynamix undertook the architecture and the design of the interior of this home in Ahmedabad. “We had designed an office for the clients earlier. As developers, they understood the process of design and were happy with our work,” says Wad. “To minimise the risk of mistakes, our drawings were all made in a 1:1 scale. That compensated for the ‘long distance’ nature of the work,” adds Hathwar.
Constructed on a 12,000 sq. ft. plot, the home comprises a formal living room, family room, 5 bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, a study and a powder room. It has been designed for a family consisting of 2 brothers, their mother, a daughter-in- law and a granddaughter.
“The formal living room gets a panoramic view of the garden, while at the same time being segregated from the main living spaces, affords privacy. The inward looking layout allows various spaces to talk to each other across both levels, creating an ongoing dialogue,” says Wad. Large overhangs provide much needed shade in the extreme heat of Ahmedabad, while the south facade has minimum fenestrations to minimise heat gain.
A vital part of the brief was that the garden area had to be maximised. “To further this objective, we placed the structure towards the periphery in an L shape, keeping the rest of the plot vacant. The formal living room extends into this vacant space on one side, thus forming a courtyard that is enclosed on three sides,” says Wad. The adjoining plot was purchased during the course of construction.
Only one type of marble and veneer run through the entire house, with only the wallpaper differing in the various rooms. “The marble we chose, Grey Aurobico, has a great deal of character, so other elements have been kept more subdued,” says Wad.
The colour palette of grey and brown gives a feeling of continuity in the flow of spaces. All the beds have been customised, with the pattern behind the bed, either in leather, wallpaper or stone, serving as an accent. In all the bedrooms, the wardrobes and baths are contiguous. The washbasin is in the closet area, with the WC hidden from view.
Glass partitions or automated screens enable the spaces to be connected and each bathroom has a private courtyard outside. On the upper level, the ducts outside the baths are sky-lit.
In the daughter’s bedroom, a splash of candy colours in the same abstract geometric pattern as the carpet and the futuristic chairs creates an intense visual experience. Laser-cut stone murals provide a 3D effect on some walls in the house. The staircase has a glass railing, with no steel support. Marble and wood treads make up the aesthetic.
Space Dynamix has competently put together glass, marble and stone to not only create a sophisticated aesthetic in this large home but also establish a spa-like experience in the private spaces.
