The weekend home is a shining example of how an opulent residence can be designed without chopping off trees.
In the outskirts of Ahmedabad, surrounded by trees, lies a two-bay weekend home, designed by Modo Designs. “There are no buildings visible from this home,” says Arpan Shah of Modo Designs.
Neem and chikoo trees dotted the space, which Arpan decided to retain. “We opted for the feel of a traditional Indian home with a courtyard and many semi-open spaces.”
Designer Megha Vadodaria of PVDRS reviewed positions of the doors and windows so as to serve the core concern of openness for public areas.
“We shaped an organisation of two bays, which sit parallel to each other with a courtyard running their length, separating as well as connecting them,” says Arpan.
The bay at the entrance contains a semi-open vestibule with an old neem tree, flanked by a parking space on one side and a guest bedroom on the other. The bedroom opens onto the central courtyard on one side, while a cut-out in another wall frames a chikoo tree backed by a dead wall.
The vestibule that leads to a linear courtyard is contained by a 11-ft high MS grills. This ensures that a trip to the kitchen or dining area at night doesn’t become a security concern. Across this courtyard, the rear bay holds the living, dining and kitchen on one side and the master bedroom on the other, with a semi open lounge separating these zones.
“There are no doors between the living, dining and kitchen areas,” says Megha. The line of vision is terminated by a wall of crackled glass handmade tiles in the main kitchen. A secondary kitchen is located in the utility area.
Various seating clusters have been created, with the flexibility to move them around as needed. Connections to the outside spaces are symmetrical, with doors opening onto the verandah. “I’ve used painted MS frames for the furniture,” says Megha. The powder room has in situ terrazzo in granite chips, covering the floor as well as the walls.
While the public spaces resemble glass boxes and employ laminated glass for safety, the bedrooms are appropriately enclosed and secure with wooden louvers for ventilation.
