CAN A HOUSE ‘GROW’ ALONGSIDE A GROWING FAMILY?

Building upon the built

Jangpura, Delhi

This project gave me a chance to translate the idea of rooftop extensions into built practice and develop the concept further by incorporating structure and services. It also exposed me to the legalities and economics involved with adaptive reuse.

A growing feature in contemporary Indian society is a desire to live urban, nuclear lives, but remain connected as a traditional, large family. Coupled with the problem of limited unbuilt parcels of land in the city, reviving existing houses to accommodate new familial changes can help build sustainably and preserve the associated memories.

With a desire to lead such an independent yet connected life, a young family was looking for a new house. We proposed building on top of the ancestral house, where the father had grown up as a child himself - thereby retaining a home for the grandparents and an independent dwelling for the young family.

Highlighting this approach, the project proposed a lightweight metal and timber addition with a dry wall system, to create a warm abode in the middle of urban life. It incorporated changing volumes and carved out indoor-outdoor connections within the tight footprint. Designed during the pandemic, the entire house was made up of kit-of-parts, to minimize the work on-site.

Project Role

Concept Design | Design development and detailing | Presentations

Project Team

Studio Lotus : Ambrish Arora | Ansel Colaco | Adil Hussain

Status

Sanctioning

Structural analysis of the existing house was undertaken and temporary additions were dismantled

Lightweight steel structure, integrated with services, was designed like a kit-of-parts using standard member sizes allowing for quicker construction

Balconies were carved out to provide outdoor connections. To reduce site work, a modular cement board wall system was designed for the facade

The roofs were split to frame vistas, informed from the interior user experience. The truss was made up of metal plates & timber infills

Fluid floor plan with connected outdoor spaces, facilitated a larger sense of living. Changing volumes - larger for collective gathering, smaller for bedrooms creating intimate spaces, generated range of user experiences.

Current Condition

Entry Experience