Bungalow in Ahmedabad: An architect couple built their dream home with Vastu principles

They pondered over the design for four years. Hitarth Majithiya and Netra Bafna, lead architects of Terra Firma Architects and Hitarth’s parents, both ISRO scientists, discussed every detail of what a dream home meant to each one of them. Clearly, many quality inputs have gone into the creation of this 3,000-square-foot bungalow in Ahmedabad. “We wanted to come together to enjoy each other’s company but also respect our time alone. Hence the architecture has a variety of scales of spaces where one can unwind. The house also responds to the climate and our personal lifestyle,” says Hitarth.

Viewed from the outside, every elevation is complex, providing visual interest. The plinth is four feet higher than the road, to safeguard against flooding – a frequent occurrence in the area. Built to occupy a grid of nine squares, the internal layout gives little indication of this strict geometry. Many diagonals in the surface finish of the flooring as well as rectangular rooms which occupy two adjacent squares of the grid, do much to disguise the square plan. “The cuboid layout adapts to internal functions. The entry twists the axis, leading to paths branching towards the kitchen and sunken seating, fostering social interaction. This central seating is a double volume which visually connects the entire house and brings it together. A staircase wraps around the seating, connecting visually and functionally,” says Hitarth. The first floor consists of two bedrooms that overlook the double volume internally, thus creating a very visually connected space.

“There are no monotonous connections between areas – the negotiation of spaces is not restricted by the structure. Only four columns are visible in the centre…the rest are hidden, as they stand on the periphery,” says Hitarth. The flooring is a combination of kota and terrazzo. In the dining area, abstracts of the house stand in for artwork. All the windows have been customised, as is the furniture. Lighting is fabricated in-house as well as procured from local stores. The overhangs ensure that direct sunlight never enters the home.

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The staircase is a pervasive presence and is visible from almost every part of the home. “Architects would be unlikely to find a client who would agree to the way this has been designed. They would certainly question the logistics. To accommodate the staircase, we’ve definitely sacrificed one, maybe even two rooms,” says Hitarth. “But we have no regrets and are really happy with the end result. The way it has been placed along with the bridges engages the double volume space, while offering views on both its sides as well as to the outside.” Two separate bridges lead to two bedrooms, sacrificing efficient utilisation of space at the altar of privacy, while simultaneously creating vantage points.

The studio for Terra Firma Architects is located on the top floor which looks out to a canopy of yellow flame trees; access is provided via an external staircase for the staff, as well as from within the house for family. This arrangement comes across as unexpected, since we are all accustomed to public spaces being on lower floors, with lines of privacy becoming more marked as we go to higher floors. “We considered locating the studio on the ground floor for this very reason. But my father-in-law was very clear that we should be able to step out and enjoy the garden, so sacrificing so much of the floor plate on the ground floor for the office didn’t make sense,” says Netra. “Moreover, we wanted to be able to expand the studio in future, so dedicating an entire floor to it would enable that.” The roof of the studio slopes at the optimum angle to hold solar panels, facing the sun’s rays for the maximum amount of time.

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“The central space was our biggest concern,” says Hitarth. “While my parents were supportive of experimentation, my father was concerned with practicalities like seepages and mosquitoes, as opposed to my aesthetics-driven design. Netra was in charge of all the fine-tuning and implementation.” The built form is essentially a cuboid carved in and projected out in response to the functions inside. These functions are distributed considering microclimates: the west and south sides house the bedrooms which are predominantly used during early mornings and nights. So they are largely undisturbed by the day’s heat. Living areas face north and east for day-long comfort, and a studio above the bedrooms provides shade on the terrace. Strategic use of skylights and openings ensures optimal daylight while minimising heat penetration.