Tropical Redemption

Somewhere between being a redesign and a completely new structure, the House of Tropics by Urban Zen, is exemplary not only for its aesthetics but also for how it navigates the unique structural challenges to create a green haven tailored to the client’s original vision.

- Carol Ferrao

Nestledin one of the most premium addresses of the country, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad stood a half-built project that was in desperate need of a jumpstart. Since the house wasn’t shaping up as per the client’s wish, they decided to hit the reset button. The project was handed over to Rohit Suraj, principal architect of Urban Zen, who was asked to step in and redeem not just the half-built structure but also the client’s hope for that perfect dream home. Rohit’s work at Urban Zen has always been about “instilling fascination, elevating the human spirit and initiating conversations”, and this was just what these particular clients needed.

During the first visit, the architect found that the house was on stilts and the living (first) floor was disconnected from the landscape. “Most of the structure was post tensioned slabs and beams, therefore, it became pertinent to develop a skin around it that completed the facade and gave the elevation its desired appeal and finesse,” he says, adding that they decided to reposition and repurpose the rooms to create the final agglomeration of spaces that were at par with the client’s perspective. The site itself possessed a serene aura that seemed to beckon a nature-centric design approach.