A Nature Connected Home

UA LAB DOES AN ARCHITECTURAL AND INTERIOR RENOVATION OF A BUNGALOW IN AHMEDABAD, BY LIBERATING SPACE AND CREATING A WARM AND INVITING ABODE.
 

- Marina Correa

The project revolves around renovating an old ground-plus-one bungalow in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, to create more space for a doctor-couple, who wanted larger areas to meet their present and future requirements.

Designed by UA Lab, this project scoops out more space within the existing built-up area rather than building larger spaces. “Our first site experience, where peacocks and peahens greeted us, guided us to develop a design without compromising on the existing open spaces available to the users,” say Vipuja and Krushnakant Parmar, Principal Architects, uA lab (urban Architectural Collaborative).

But at the same time, the old load-bearing structure provided them with very less freedom to release space, they recall. So, using the design language of walls, columns and frames, they created envelopes around the main structure such that the enclosed space within could be released in these envelopes. All these new extensions, designed as envelopes, are done in exposed RCC structure and kept open from the top; creating a cubic form to the built mass.

“We tried to open the inner spaces of the house towards the outer garden; this helped in establishing stronger relationships with the outside greens and harnessed natural light and air,” says Krushnakant.