Open Shut House
The Open-Shut house sits in a cluster of residential fabric with only the east and west faces free. Located in a remotely dense residential setting, the building façade faces the internal road with frequent vehicular movement. The designers decided to keep the north side for small openings rather than large ones as to not hinder the privacy of the inhabitants. Spanning four floors, the house inhabits not only four generations but also their individual needs catered to in a specific way.
The orientation of the plot leads the house to face west, making it prone to access sunlight for most parts of the day, along with a tendency that proper ventilation is regulated too. The integration of screens on the main façade ensures that there is a filtration of harsh sunlight from the west. This also contributes to constant ventilation and a partial blockage from other tenants in the gated community, providing the family members a sense of privacy. The mechanism of the screens' opening and closing also gives the occupants freedom of limiting or entirely opening up to the neighborhood for social connectivity. The screen wall enriches the simple and effective outlook that makes the house stand out. It is an important threshold that binds the house to its context and is functional toward the internal environment of the house. This lets in the southwest breeze and also lessens the need for artificial lighting.
The stack of floors are connected by a central flight of stairs featuring a work of exposed brick which brings in ample sunlight from the skylight above. The staircase suggests a language of continuity between the floors while ensuring a non-monotonous touch is played by sciographies on the brick wall from the glass roof above. This makes the overall space very playful through its elements. The entire longevity of the staircase also acts as a wind tower, funneling the warm air from the top, promising a medium for cross ventilation.
The puja space resides in the center of the staircase, as if it’s the nucleus, binding all other spaces together. The puja area is a triple-height space, in sync with the member’s spiritual beliefs and values. While the overall color palette, when shone with natural sunlight, enriches the space with delicate shades of simple yet elegant material, the furniture hints a pop of pastel hues, bringing color to an otherwise calm background.
The puja space resides in the center of the staircase, as if it’s the nucleus, binding all other spaces together. The puja area is a triple-height space, in sync with the member’s spiritual beliefs and values. While the overall color palette, when shone with natural sunlight, enriches the space with delicate shades of simple yet elegant material, the furniture hints a pop of pastel hues, bringing color to an otherwise calm background.
