Month: November 2023

Beer traces its roots back some 14,000 years, emerging well before the onset of agriculture by humankind. The modern iteration of beer, fermented with yeast, made its debut in ancient Egypt before the 4th century BCE, marking a pivotal moment in the beverage’s evolution. This transition is widely recognized as the birth of beer. The journey of beer continued as it ventured into Europe, with monasteries assuming the mantle of brewing during the medieval era. This shift was driven by monks seeking a delightful respite during arduous fasting periods.

Whether through small samples of materials or a digital collage, a moodboard is a valuable project tool for architects and designers; an inspiration board with colors and elements to guide choices. The objective is to use this as an inspirational tool for upcoming projects, in order to define backgrounds, predominant textures, and standout details. To this end, surfaces play a fundamental role in defining a space and setting the tone of the space, just like a piece of music, where all the other elements may or may not match the harmony of the chosen palette.

The development of large cities attracts many people to work and live there, but their spirit always remains connected to their homeland. This process has given rise to houses built by those who have returned to their hometowns after years of hard work.

A metal room stands out amid the natural environment of plants, trees, and water. The room is not just a room; it has given order to what was previously there, defining its boundaries and narrowing its scope. “Building” is not quite fitting for this small room. “Expansion” is more appropriate; the room has expanded from within. Previously, it was a short chamber with clear ends but no boundaries! Now, it is firm, solid, heavy, and clearly defined. These metal sheets have not added anything to the previous space; they only explain that this space could have existed.

Context – Located beyond the western periphery of Ahmedabad city, the project sits in an area that geographically marks the beginning of the flat, arid landscape that culminates as the Little Rann of Kutch. The chosen plot of land is approached obliquely by a vehicular road that reveals a row of Gulmohar trees along its eastern edge. This diagonal view- the first moment of encounter with the site- is capitalized on and developed into the main organizational axis for the house. Siting – Major building masses- i.e., the principal house, swimming pool, gazebo, and caretaker’s residence are aligned along the western edge of the site. Of these, the ancillary spaces are thickened into an edge-like formation along the shared boundary with the neighboring plot. This frees the smaller front garden to circumscribe about the house, go past the row of Gulmohar trees, and extend into the larger rear garden- a move that unifies the exterior space into a continuous, unfolding gardened landscape that envelops the house. 

Context – Located beyond the western periphery of Ahmedabad city, the project sits in an area that geographically marks the beginning of the flat, arid landscape that culminates as the Little Rann of Kutch. The chosen plot of land is approached obliquely by a vehicular road that reveals a row of Gulmohar trees along its eastern edge. This diagonal view- the first moment of encounter with the site- is capitalized on and developed into the main organizational axis for the house. Siting – Major building masses- i.e., the principal house, swimming pool, gazebo, and caretaker’s residence are aligned along the western edge of the site. Of these, the ancillary spaces are thickened into an edge-like formation along the shared boundary with the neighboring plot. This frees the smaller front garden to circumscribe about the house, go past the row of Gulmohar trees, and extend into the larger rear garden- a move that unifies the exterior space into a continuous, unfolding gardened landscape that envelops the house.