The city of Chandigarh is commonly identified with Le Corbusier, known as the only city he planned. His modernist spectre seems to permeate all the architecture in the city. Even now, Indian architects emulate his aesthetic to varying degrees of success. However, a drawback to the extremely rigid planning bylaws adopted by the designers of the new city of India is that it leaves little room for new developments, resulting in the creation of satellite towns such as Panchkula in Haryana. A symbolic breaking away from Corbusian modernism, these towns represent the burgeoning urban identity of an evolving India. Mirroring this idea of progression in the architectural language is the work of younger practices in the country, among them the Chandigarh-based architects, Charged Voids. The architectural studio, which has previously displayed an affinity to Corbusier’s modernist principles, has recently begun experimenting with the versatility of local materials and traditional morphologies in their work while keeping with the notion of rigid geometry.

A recent project, Residence 91, demonstrates this idea, bridging tradition and modernity to celebrate the idea of communal living. According to the architects, the residence—designed to be more than just a machine for living in—brings together three generations of a family in a serene, light-filled sanctuary surrounded by lush landscaping. Located on a corner plot with a main arterial road abutting the site, the idea for the home evolved from a close analysis of the family setups of large Indian families in the urban context. Hence, they strived to balance private and public, while allowing for a connection to greenery. The residential design is inward-looking with a patterned facade design that breaks the monotony of a plain exterior, making use of the rustic red brick for a humble, earthy look.

Arranged around a courtyard with skylights bringing in diffused daylight, each space within the house enjoys varying relationships with the outside, while the surrounding landscaping ensures that a sense of calm permeates the interiors. The external openings in the façade vary in size, concealing and revealing the surroundings through clever design. Similarly, the volume of the courtyard expands and contracts on each level, giving rise to transitional spaces and quiet corners. On the ground floor, public spaces flow into the open courtyard, lit by natural light. The courtyard design is meant to invoke the idea of a traditional aangan, rekindling fond memories of familial gatherings. This idea of taking inspiration from traditional practices to meet modern needs has become a trademark of the evolving language of contemporary Indian architecture.

The ground floor also includes a double-height kitchen with a lightwell, a separate spice kitchen and the elderly parents' bedroom. While the ground floor opens out to the public, the basement is confined to private gatherings, with a lounge and entertainment area, accompanied by a guest bedroom. Here, the courtyard transforms into a sunken court, bringing in diffused daylight. The upper floors house the bedrooms for the younger couple and their child, along with a family lounge and kitchen, with an outdoor recreational space for each. The views from these floors are mediated by the strategically designed external openings. Everything within the brick-clad shell was meticulously planned, from the size of the courts to the view from the openings, ensuring a sense of connection and serenity. As the architects mention, "The vistas framed by [the] openings were also not left up to chance." On the first floor, windows align with the tops of the trees, ensuring verdant views for the residents. Larger openings were designed to face north while the smaller ones faced south, thus reducing heat gain within the interiors. Deep-set verandahs on the second and third storeys with covered terraces, gardens and even a jacuzzi further lowered internal temperatures. The interplay of built and open within the volume of the house allows for a sense of dynamism to the architecture that facilitates interaction between the older and younger family generations, through chance encounters and ample spaces to unwind in.

Since the residence is located on a busy stretch, it was important for the architects to create an inwardly oriented oasis for the residents. While the courtyard brings in the natural elements, and a sense of quiet which gives the family a communal space, the design team makes clever use of the rat trap bond to ensure acoustic seclusion and thermal insulation. Using the unconventional brick bond also allowed the team to create rhythmic patterns on the façade, adding visual intrigue to the design. The project also puts an emphasis on regional construction practices, using composite RCC and locally available brick, a point that the lead architect of the studio has stressed for previous projects.

In creating a comfortable environment for the occupants, the design explores how the simple interplay of built and open, natural and manmade can induce feelings of warmth and familial connection. Residence 91 demonstrates how pragmatic solutions can lead to surprising results, and how one can work within set boundaries while still thinking outside the metaphorical box.

Project Details

Name: Residence 91
Location: Panchkula, Haryana
Architect: Charged Voids
Design Team: Aman Aggarwal (Principal Architect), Swati Agarwal, Akash Purshit, Dushyant Singh
3D Visualiser: Haneet Khanna
Structure Consultant: Er. Pankaj Nanda
Area:
Site Area: 435 sqm.
Built-up Area: 800 sqm.
Completion: 2021