Peep House, Baroda

Architectural Group: Dipen Gada & Associates
Principal Designer: Dipen Gada
Design Team: Shalini Pereira, Aditi Dave & Dolly Pari
Site Co-ordinator: Mr. Biren Patwa
Client: Mr. Kothari
Project Location: Baroda, Gujarat, India
Project Year (Completion): December 2012
Built up Area: 8700 sq.ft.
Project Type: Residential
Photography: Tejas Shah
Text: Nidhi Patel

[dropcap]A[/dropcap]n architectural marvel in itself, the ‘PEEP HOUSE’ is 8700 sq. ft. structure that nestles perfectly in the huge plot owned by Mr. Kothari. ‘Surprise’- is what describes the house, which is a result of the tremendous faith and trust offered by the client at the end of a few conversations and a smooth transition from the requirement of a typical bungalow to an experimentive, out-of-the-box design.

The central idea behind the design of this house was to create a ‘non-building’. The concept is a simple linear layout with the R.C.C. wall forming the main axis connecting the areas around. The stark solid R.C.C. wall with perforations veils the house beautifully behind it  allowing only a few glimpses through the punctures and divides the whole plot into three main spaces; the house, the Zen garden and the swimming pool, with the landscape seamlessly blending these areas together to strike a perfect balance of the in and out spaces.

There is only one built mass, a singular cube peeping out and resting firmly above the solid wall which forms the first view of the house. Each nook and corner of the house oozes serenity and highlights the simplistic and minimalistic approach, a signature style of the architect. There is an apparent ‘play with the emptiness’ to create the rich experience where architectural detailing blends with the interior design in the most natural way leaving no scope for plasticity.

The layout is a simple plan constituting a basic drawing room, a formal dining room and kitchen and a parent’s room that is at the end of the small passage inside and an informal outdoor living area overlooking the pool and an adjacent Zen garden which has become the most delighting and enriching part of the whole house. The swimming pool is an exquisite feature that creates a thematic color play of lights and effects influencing the spectrum of moods according to the nature of requirement. The pool neighbors a small office and a home theatre.

The staircase leads to the upper floor which has a long passage supported by the wall on one side that displays the collage of family photographs and a long window, allowing ample ventilation and flooding the space with light, on the other that sums up to create a dramatic experience of lights. The end of this passage is a splendid open- to- sky zone, an area, which is artistic by the beautiful scenography that lights and shadows create with the artifacts that are specially selected. The bedrooms are interlinked through this passage with master bedroom immediately at the end of this passage where the mystery of the peeping cube unfolds. This room projects in the front above the axial R.C.C. wall and opens out to a scenic terrace garden.

The décor of the house is minimal and classic with no superficial decoration complementing the personality of the young owner. The material palette constitutes all natural materials like brick wall, kota stone, white marble and wood. Ample natural light floods through the house and it is also well ventilated minimizing the use of conventional sources of energy. The building complies with major green building norms. Experimentation with the right stroke of simplistic design and natural materials creates a beautiful and rhythmic substance inhabitable with comfort and luxury.

Challenges are a part of every design that makes the design process interesting, says the designer, who believes in taking up the project with all its prospects sportingly and work towards solving it creatively with incessant zeal.

The open to sky court at the end of the passage on the first floor is the most delighting and enriching part of the whole house that peeps from the R.C.C. veil when viewed from below at the entrance. The pergola above the court filters the light creating a sensory experience that is enhanced by the pebbles below and the abstract etching on the vitrified tiles that follows up from the flooring.

The feeling of openness tags along inside the house with the river finished multi-colored kota stone flooring that runs in from the passage out and is highlighted by the view of the open court with planters and the green through the perforated wall.

The passage on the first floor acts as a serene lobby connecting the bedrooms. Its wall functions as a gallery displaying a large collection of family photographs creating a walk down the memory lane.

The pergola above the court filters the light creating a sensory experience that is enhanced by the pebbles below and the abstract etching on the vitrified tiles that follows up from the flooring.

A large bed tray boxes the end of the bed that can be rolled into position with the help of castors on which it stands.

The sojourn through a 50’ long passage that the wall guides through to the main entrance of the house is a magnificent experience rendered by the view of the pool through wooden fins on one side and an overlooking a cozy front garden on the other. This experience is enhanced by the 40’ long tailored lamp hung above in the passage which creates a dramatic play of lights and shadows in the day and even at night.

The 40’ long tailored lamp hung above in the passage which creates a dramatic play of lights and shadows in the day and even at night. The lamp has been designed scrupulously such that it creates a spectacular radiating pattern that enhances the path inside the house mitigating the magnitude of the entrance.

The Zen garden overlooking the pool abutting the informal seating area is the designer’s favorite. It brings out the best in you and has become the attraction for the residents as well.

The open-to-sky court on the first floor peeps out from the stark R.C.C. wall in the front façade is yet another attractive feature of this house. An attempt to bring in the nature is well justified here and it is an art sculpture in itself. Enigmatic yet artistic, the experience of the space is coherent to its importance in the house.

 

 

[author] [author_image]http://www.howarchitectworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Dipen_Gada.png[/author_image] [author_info]Dipen Gada and Associates is an architectural and interior design firm based in Baroda. The firm has its roots in interior design. The principal designer of the firm, Dipen Gada, holds a Bachelors degree in Civil Engineering from the M.S University of Baroda. His interest in interior design led him to make a foray into this field. He established the firm of Dipen Gada and Associates in 1993. [/author_info] [/author]