Soenke Hoof builds a home that harnesses elements of the earth and balances light, shadow, line and space
APR 15, 2019
| By Meenakshi Shankar
A grand entrance connects to the garden. Sculpted to open the space to the sky, a large steel pivot door coated with translucent polycarbonate and perforated metal sheeting creates a statement. There is a daring play of textures such as granite for the flooring, rough plaster for walls, exposed concrete for the roofing structure and painted white steel for doors; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
“It was the first time that we have used water (of the pool) as an additional building material. Using it to create depth, to reflect light, what it does to the space when it is still or rippled—that was all very exciting”; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
Interestingly, the brief that came to Soenke Hoof wasn’t to build the house but to bring home a completely new avatar for the basement. The space needed to harness elements of the earth and capture the reflections of the moving sky on still and rippling water.
Soenke believes in breathing life into spaces and his work reflects this. The pool and spa, in the basement, had to come alive with light, shadow, line and space. “The challenge was to create a space that rested on my design sensibility, which doesn’t fully give itself away at first. It wants to be discovered, surprising you along the way.
Conforming to this, a space infused with clean lines and a reduced palette of materials emerged,” Soenke elaborates on the almost ethereal design. A first for the architect, he introduced water as the main narrative of the space, using it as an additional building material.
The soothing sound of the water puts you at ease; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
Light and shadow, fierce and soft, come together to create ripples that are bold and evocative in a single breath. Standing dignified with its minimalistic approach, this space is a treat to the senses.
Scroll below for more images from this lovely home!
The pool area, which can be accessed directly from the old house or via a new staircase, arrives at a stone ledge floating over the pool; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
Adding elements like glass doors to the lounge creates a sense of expanse; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
The material palette includes exposed RCC for the retaining wall and ceiling, black leather-finished granite for wall cladding, sandblasted granite for the flooring, and in-built furniture of bamboo veneer and teak; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
The expansive view in the basement opens up to the underground pool and spa areas. Parallel to the pool, a long skylight acts as a conduit to the old house; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
Soenke plays on the double-height, free-flowing central area of the house to connect the space and make it a holistic address. Drawing inspiration from traditional Gujarati homes, a contemporary two-seater swing designed by Soenke is a conversation starter; Photographs By Jignesh Jhaveri
A grand entrance connects to the garden. Sculpted to open the space to the sky, a large steel pivot door coated with translucent polycarbonate and perforated metal sheeting creates a statement. There is a daring play of textures — granite for the flooring, rough plaster for walls, exposed concrete for the roofing structure and painted white steel for doors; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
The expansive bath space is an ode to unpolished veined granite, which is used for cladding; Photographs by Jignesh Jhaveri
