Excerpt: The residential project Sharvari, by Mayur Gandhi and Associates, is a combination of both vernacular and modern architecture, inspired by its context. The house is welcoming and interactive as the designers aimed for the setback to merge with the existing road so as to create a larger frontage for the bungalow and enhancing the setback area with landscape design with some pauses.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] The client brief consisted of a home that is a fusion of both vernacular and modern architecture. The site is located in Satara, Maharashtra, India. The interesting part while designing was that the designers aimed for the setback to merge with the existing road so as to create a bigger frontage for the bungalow, enhancing the setback area with landscape design with some pauses, making it more welcoming and interactive.
The client had a traditional point of view as he was used to living in a village, so the entry was designed as ‘angaan’ with a tulsi vrundavan in the center. Due to traditional belief, temples have importance, so the pooja room has been designed on the east side with a skylight, creating a play of light and shadows in the morning. A foldable staircase, detachable from walls, has been designed with a skylight to emphasise it. The kitchen is designed with minimal use of materials, making it convenient to use. To avoid glaze from the west façade, exposed brick jali has been designed.
The exposed brick wall becomes the feature wall of the bungalow, which is visible from the living room and dining area, thus keeping one connected with the other and making it more interactive. To keep the building white, brick and stone have been used to provide an aesthetic touch. The stone wall is constructed monolithically, forming the garage of the house. The south side is kept dead to avoid glare and is also raised, creating a shadow on the north side.
To break the monotony of the façade, a cuboid has been carved out, creating a double-height space designed with a jali wall, creating an intricate pattern on the facade and providing natural aesthetics to the structure. There is a fort named ‘Ajinkyatara’ on the west side that incorporates a mesmerising view; hence, the master bedroom is designed with a full glass façade to capture the view.
The terrace of the master bedroom is on the front façade, overlooking the verandah below, creating a connection between the ground and first floors. The reading section is designed in the upper lobby area to create a connection between the children’s room and the master bedroom. A multipurpose hall is designed on the first floor, opening into a huge open terrace on the east side so that the client can have a cup of tea overlooking the beautiful view of famous Fort Ajinkyatara. A mini bar is designed on the south-west side, framing the sunset view of the fort.
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