One With Nature

Project: Three Trees House, New Delhi. Architects: DADA Architects, New Delhi

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Set on a verdant land parcel dotted with large mature trees, the Three Trees House is nestled, much like a fork, between three such trees. The premise for choosing to situate the building amidst the trees was to preserve the existing greenery while enjoying the natural setting in close proximity to the habitable areas. The house is conceived as an assembly of two fairly rectangular blocks—the east-facing front block and the west-facing rear one. The two are connected by a narrow, transparent staircase block. The largest tree of the three, a flowering Kachnar (Bauhinia), is the centerpiece of the courtyard space. The shaded north-facing courtyard is further animated with different rooms fronting onto it, along with the large overhang canopies providing a constant play of light and shade. When experienced from within the house, this space brings an enhanced sense of openness inside, while unfolding constantly changing views of the outdoors as well as the building, as one moves around and vertically between different levels of the house. An area of 8,000 sq ft on the ground floor and 6,000 sq ft on the first floor, an additional gym block of 1,250 sq ft, and an ancillary building of 1,000 sq ft make the house a sprawling one.

THE BRIEF