DWG Architects zeroed in on a large brick curtain wall to deflect the heat of the sun from this bungalow in Surat, Gujarat.
It is universally acknowledged that we cannot change climate. Cognisant of this fact, “we can only react to climate,” says Dinesh Suthar of DWG Architects. When Dinesh was asked to design a home in Surat for a gentleman whose life’s blood was social work, he realised that the house should be recognisable from afar, since it would be visited by at least 20–50 people every day.
The plot faced southwest, but overlooked nothing significant. Dinesh put his mind to a solution, which would reduce the heat gain from the southwest, even while it became the very identity of the house. “The west was exposed to the sun from 11am till sunset. The harsh sun had to be controlled,” he says.
The design team conducted many studies with different sizes of bricks, to determine what was viable. The resultant undulating brick wall is the piece de resistance of the project, with its surface in the living room reflecting the exact reverse of its concavities and convexities visible from outside. The design responds to the climate at both micro and macro levels.
At the entrance of the bungalow, the sit out area is shaded all day except after 5 pm, when the sun is not so harsh. The ground floor houses the parking and the home theatre, with living spaces starting on the first floor. The living room is an expansive space. Light and air enters from the two shorter sides, illuminating as well as ventilating the room. The balcony acts like a buffer during summer.
“Exposed brick and concrete is often associated with cheap, cost-effective work. We tried to overcome this perception by using Italian marble and cutting it horizontally instead of vertically,” Dinesh says.
Along with the living room, the first floor accommodates the dining room, master bedroom and kitchen. Three bedrooms overlook the living room, their doors hidden from the living room by a long corridor. The centre of the bungalow also houses the lift, staircase and washrooms, while the third floor has an office with toilet facilities. An openable clerestory window brings in light and controls air.
The staircase in the centre of the bungalow has a skylight at the top which coaxes light into the interior. The human faces in its design are an abstract representation of Krishna’s Raas Leela.
