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    The Tapered House by Studio Mohenjodaro offers multiple vistas of the city beautiful Chandigarh

    FEB 22, 2022 | By Kashish Kaushal
    The dining area on the upper floor overlooking the courtyard also has a sloping roof that tapers upwards, bringing in a sublime view of the open sky unhindered by the roofline of the neighbouring houses; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    The kitchen is fabricated at site by Woodmakers India with shutters made in white ash wood. The dado tiles have been sourced locally; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    A custom designed bed with a high backdrop and fabric padding was fabricated by Woodmakers India in the grandfather’s bedroom; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    There are expansive views from the lobby to the greens outside beyond the dining room creating a visual vista; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    Twin Beds for the kids bedroom with a hand painted backdrop of leaves and a window sitting ledge. The cabinetry is made in a dual tone colour scheme with the use of Merino Laminates; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    A custom-made four poster bed adorns the main bedroom crafted by Woodmakers India, a gold motif on the wallpaper behind the bed adds to the warmth of the room. Standing mirror and the Seating at the foot of the bed is from Fabindia; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    The sense of openness escalates as one steps out onto the large front terrace with its beautiful plants, ornate railings and modest flooring; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    The house, recessed from the streetscape and its adjacent buildings, does not instantly come to sight. It takes its time to gradually invite and hold the passer-by; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
    Custom designed furniture in the lobby is inspired by Chandigarh’s famous Jeanneret Chairs; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

    Contemporary warm-climate architecture tends to welcome the outdoors with living spaces that transcend the boundaries between inside and out. For The Tapered House—a 4,500 sq ft home in Chandigarh, an open and flexible outlook beautifully articulated with exposed brickwork, Indian marbles, natural wood, timber, Moroccan tiles etc, does the trick. 

    Drawing a fine balance between the vision of the clients and of his practice, principal architect Tarunpreet Singh Bhatia of Studio Mohenjodaro has crafted this home for five. He wanted to build a sensible structure that could identify itself with a sculpture-like aesthetic in its immediate surroundings. 

    The city beautiful, planned by the legendary architect Le Corbusier, is famous worldwide as one of the best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the twentieth century in India. The raw, brutally exposed texture of its buildings have inspired and taught generations as to how limited means can open avenues of unprecedented achievement and add value to spaces and those inhabiting them.  Taking inspiration from this philosophy, Studio Mohenjodaro designed The Tapered House, which would stay true to the character and spirit of Chandigarh.

    From the exposed brick facade to the butterfly roof, the house has an aura of timelessness; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

     

    A double door painted in a vibrant shade of pastel green, gives a glimpse of what unravels beyond. The green hanging bell towards the right side is from Fabindia; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

     

    A double door painted in a vibrant shade of pastel green, gives a glimpse of what unravels beyond. The green hanging bell towards the right side is from Fabindia; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

    “A dream project for the owners, the house is lovingly built, imbibing the values of the owners, reflecting in the design techniques and elements. They also displayed a leaning towards colourful, quaint interiors that has been very evident through the styling of their home. Our team took efforts to design a house that would have a timeless appeal, and offer a safe, comfortable space for the residents,” shares Bhatia. 

    A 22 ft high, hand-painted forest scenery on the fourth wall of the courtyard fills you with a sense of wonder; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

     

    The dining table is a customised wood and epoxy resin table with interlocking V-shaped legs. Furniture fabricated by Mr. Mobin Ahmed Ansari of Woodmakers India; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

    What makes this house exceptional is the intent to create a visual axis from left to right as well as from front to rear. “To achieve this, the windows are strategically aligned, so there is a direct line of vision between the kitchen on the extreme left and the kid’s bedroom on the extreme right, via the lobby and courtyard.  Likewise, there is an unobstructed view from the front lawn outside the main entrance, through the courtyard to the internal staircase at the far end. Thereby, making the courtyard a focal point for both the axis,” adds Bhatia.

    Upon entry, one is greeted by an open-to-sky double height courtyard, which floods the interiors with natural light and ventilation; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

     

    Running continuously in all windows above the door lintel height, are wooden louvres which soften the otherwise crude material palette; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

    Visual continuity is maintained, not just horizontally but vertically as well with louvred windows from the living area above, overlooking into the central courtyard below. This perceivable dialogue between both floors ties the different spaces holistically. 

    In the drawing room, the beautiful wall plates were sourced by the client from The Vanity Box and the custom designed chair with the u-shaped legs were fabricated by Mr. Mobin Ahmed Ansari of Woodmakers India; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

     

    A careful choice of finishing materials and the finesse of the production make all the difference; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

    Deliberately hidden from outside view, the main entrance is tucked in-between the formal dining room on the left and the formal living room on the right. The layout of the house is segregated into formal and informal zones as per the hierarchy of function. At the front, underneath the butterfly roof are the formal dining and living rooms. The informal areas like the kitchen, family lobby and an internal courtyard are placed in the centre with the private bedrooms further inside, towards the rear. 

    Access to the floor above is by a beautiful internal staircase made of solid teak wood treads while handmade Spanish tiles embellish each riser; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

     

    The designers were able to infuse a lot of their signature elements in this project, like the raw concrete ceilings; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

    Three ensuite bedrooms occupy the ground floor— two of them, for the owners and their parents, look out towards the rear lawn with a staircase core in-between. The third bedroom is designed as a children’s bedroom and is housed beyond the courtyard, along the same corridor leading to the other bedrooms. 

    The house is an exercise in old-fashioned subtlety, borrowing from the original architecture of the city; Photographs by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

    Visibly calm by the neutrality of the exteriors, a visitor is unexpectedly stimulated by a riot of colours, the moment they enter the house. The spaces flow into each other, dynamic and moving, with the scales varying between sloping ceilings, open to sky courtyard, and flat roofed rooms. Meandering through the space, it is easy to imagine the countless moments the spaces will witness as the residents create unforgettable memories through the years.

    If this home appeals to you, make sure you take a glimpse at The Concrete House by SPAN Architects that transforms a palette of exposed concrete into a warm home in Indore!