Excerpt: A Home By the Park by 4site architects deals with the challenge of creating spaces over a linear site keeping the infinite views of the park without compromising on privacy from park and neighbors. The inclusion of the public park into the design made the house stay inside the nature physically and visually. The designers connected the inhabitants physically with a series of themed gardens around the house.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] A nature loving business family approached 4site architects to design their dream house on a East Facing Linear Plot of size 40 ft x 110 ft. The site faces the park on the East (front side) with an approach road and on the West side (rear) road that is 3ft higher than the front road. The challenge was to create spaces over a linear site keeping the infinite views of the park without compromising on privacy from park and neighbors.
The clients asked for a house that resonates with nature and expresses nature throughout the home. The designers took the advantage of the public park in front of the site to extend the nature beyond their plot. The inclusion of the public park into the design made the house stay inside the nature physically and visually. They connected inhabitants physically with a series of themed gardens – front serene Garden, central rain court, and private back garden, whereas public parks connected visually and seamlessly.
The front garden welcomes the guests with a sense of tranquility and peacefulness. To forge a connection between the park and the garden, it has been raised to a level where the park and the garden form one vast visual greenscape. Though these spaces are separated, they are connected visually.
The visual connection is carried along to the central rain court, which is strategically placed at the centre of the house. This double-height lung space provides a good connection with the front garden and the public park.
The collection of diverse plants and the freshwater aquarium, along with diffused light from the court, form its own microclimate. The aquarium is constantly engaged by a sheet waterfall that burbles, setting a serene mood throughout the house.
All bedrooms open to either the front garden or view of the park, yet they are designed as private enclosures. The parents’ master suite opens to the rear garden on the south-west as per the principles of Vastu. The upper balcony bridged to the family room opens out to the view of the park.
The front garden, 20 ft x 30 ft in size, invokes the sense of serene and calmness when one enters the house. Front garden and the park are seamlessly camouflaged. With the raised garden, the public and the private spaces are separated, yet they are connected visually.
The rain court, in the centre of the house, is a double height lung space, serene light well for the family and it connects all living/common spaces at all levels.
The open to sky central rain court brings in diffused light from the double height enclosure creating the micro climate that brings the essence of a home. The court changes with seasons, with its variety of flowering plants and shrubs. The tree at the rain court binds the space with spatial volumes. The external security envelope ensures that the internal rain court’s windows are grill free.
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