Located in Ahmedabad—the hometown of one of the luminaries who defined the identity of post-independent architecture in India, BV Doshi—the House of Generations is a 2100 sqm. private residential villa by Blocher Partners India. It is a specimen that characterises the minimalist aesthetics of the Indian modernist style pioneered by the only Indian architect to ever win the Pritzker Architecture Prize. The villa carries an engaging blend of modernist forms, and traditional Indian sensibilities through the contemporary rendition of the courtyards, verandahs, and lattice walls (jaalis). Designed by architect Hartmut Wurster, who founded the Indian division of the European design practice Blocher Partners, the architectural language of the villa strongly reflects the values that originally drove the decision to establish the studio in Ahmedabad. It meant upholding and adding to the native urban identity of the city, dotted by a series of modernist and traditional edifices. 

Intentioned as a home for a well-travelled family, Wurster points out the client’s emphasis on a flexible facade, inspired by traditional jaalis (lattice screens), which showcases the family’s understanding of regional elements. “This blend of global exposure with a respect for local vernacular architecture demonstrates a desire for a residence that reflects the family's cosmopolitan lifestyle while integrating with the context of Ahmedabad,” he tells STIR.

Located in the heart of an urban landscape and surrounded by residential towers, the studio took on the challenge of crafting a dwelling that offered both privacy and a connection with its surroundings. The solution for this came in the form of a custom-designed flexible facade. Serving the dichotomous requirements of privacy and openness, the facade can be retracted and folded, granting the family complete control over their privacy without compromising on the connection with nature. Equipped with transmutability, the villa’s balconies and the adjustable screens allow for versatile indoor experiences.

The key feature of the facade is the vertical louvres which “not only upheld the desired privacy levels but also regulated the micro-climate within the villa, offering a respite from the scorching summers of Ahmedabad,” as per Blocher Partners India. These openings ensure glare reduction while allowing diffused natural light in. Apart from the jaalis, the villa also boasts other design elements that take cues from the regional architecture. Spaces such as the courtyard and the verandah become transitory pockets that bolster the connection with the landscape while simultaneously blurring the distinction between indoors and outdoors. These also significantly reduce the building’s active energy consumption required to maintain indoor comfort.

A restrained material palette that comprises natural materials such as wood and stone emphasises the sculptural nature of the built form. A focus on the tactility of surfaces, and a stark homogeneity of material tones enhance the visual language of the villa.

The entrance gives a glimpse of the varying volumes of the house, which come together to form a dramatic composition. It opens into a double-height lobby with skylights overhead that fill the interiors with abundant daylight. The otherwise minimalist space is accented by a dramatic lighting fixture—a set of bulbous blown glass pieces akin to jellyfish floating in the sea—that becomes an object of interest, emphasising the expansive nature of the space. The lobby becomes part of a grand passageway—with the courtyard and verandah—that opens into the landscape. The spaces are separated by large glass partitions, which do not interfere with the line of vision. The ground floor of the south-eastern wing houses the living spaces, the kitchen and the grandparents' bedroom, while the first floor accommodates the client’s private quarters. The other wing houses three bedrooms for kids and a guest room.

The house accommodates the courtyard and the verandah, spatial features which have been culturally recurrent in multi-generational Indian houses as pockets where the family comes together for social engagements. The House of Generations’ tendency to be transparent becomes central to connections—between family members, and with nature. The choice of materials, interestingly, lends softness and intimacy to the spaces with their textural qualities and warmth. With the current trends that put consistent emphasis on carbon neutrality in architecture, practices that integrate the strategies of traditional architecture with contemporary design become crucial. The villa thus resonates with these values while also carefully navigating the intimacy of familial connections, privacy, and connection with nature.

Project Details

Name: House of Generations
Location: Ahmedabad, India
Area: 2100 sqm
Year of completion: 2021
Architect: Blocher Partners India
Lighting design:: Nirmit Jhaveri, Atelier lights
Design assistance: Yagnesh Mistry, Roshni Rao