KD45

Urban living in lap of nature
In urban setting, there is a growing disconnect between the user and nature. With this project we are looking at creating green urban living, to rekindle the relationship of the residents with nature in their immediate surroundings.

Design Brief
Clients design brief was to create a villa with maximum green space and views to the park. The space requirement is to create a villa for one joint family. Clients brother with his wife and grandparents on the ground floor and he, his wife and son on the first floor. Home theatre, bar and gym in the basement.

The site is surrounded with villas on 3 sides, offering views of the neighbourhood park on the shortest 4th side. Alongside there are three prominent trees on the site which we wanted to retain.

Being a joint family the client wanted dual interaction in the house. Privacy for the individual families and connected spaces for entire family.

Concept
The built form emerges from the landscape and blends the ground floor with the roof of the building, creating an outdoor connective spine for the villa. The odd shape of the plot along with the views to the neighbourhood park were used as design drivers. The built form is strategically placed on one edge of the site, resulting in a generous landscaped garden on west side of the plot which opens up to the double height family living & dining, thereby extending as an outdoor living room. The three large existing trees on site have been retained, creating zones of shadow in the landscape and also help in reducing the sun exposure of the villa.

The built form is strategically placed along the north-east corner of the site, resulting in a generous landscaped garden on the south-west side of the plot which opens up to the double height family living & dining. The built form emerges from the landscape and blend the ground floor to the roof of the building, creating an outdoor connective spine for the villa. This meandering stepped walkway has an outdoor space on the first floor with shaded seating and connects further to the terrace. The landscape garden on the terrace enjoys the views of the neighbourhood park.

The meandering stepped walkway has an outdoor space on the first floor acting as a balcony and at the same time as direct entrance to the first floor. Landscape garden on the terrace enjoys the views of the neighbourhood park with a feeling of being nested with nature. A double height living, dining and open kitchen space combines the two family floors into one zone of family living and thereby strengthening the family connectivity.

Sustainability
Given the hot climatic conditions of Delhi-NCR this project has been designed for human comfort both indoors and outdoors. Shallow water body on the ground floor has been placed in the path of the wind direction, helping in evaporative cooling. The main south-west facing facade on the ground is recessed to block the direct sunlight during the day, yet maintaining a seamless visual connection to the outside. Upper floor of the building is made of concrete with windows recessed back to cut the south sun. The roof of the building is a landscaped terrace with earth and grass. Wind direction was taken into account to allow cross ventilation in the house.

SITE AREA :
1081 SQM
BUILT UP AREA:
1100 SQM
Floors:
Basement, Ground, First, Terrace

DESIGN
AMIT GUPTA, BRITTA KNOBEL GUPTA, FARUK MURAT

PROJECT LEAD
KARTIK MISRA, NITISH TALMALE

TEAM
PROJECT ARCHITECT: GOVINDA DEY. TEAM: KRISHAN SHARMA, ANKIT VERMA, SAKSHI RAGHAV, SAMIKSHA VERMA, VISHAKHA SHARMA, DHRITI SHARMA

KD45 by Studio Symbiosis in India won the WA Award Cycle 41. Please find below the WA Award poster for this project.