Case study of three Indian

residences

Presented by :- Pranjali Singhania

The Outhouse – MISA ARCHITECTS

•Project name : The

Outhouse
•Building typology :
residential (Farm house)
•Location : Ahmadabad,
India
•Land area : 371.6122 sq.
m.
•Done By: MISA
ARCHITECTS
Introduction
The design approach was to create an enigmatic
feel by camouflaging the building with the
background, which offered a matchless view of the
horizon. The imagination was to bring life to a
poetic expression: green grass below, and the blue
sky above, and the outhouse at this threshold.
Orientation of the building
Main
building Servants
Quarters

parking
• The plan of the main building can be seen as
very fragmented and has a long corridor running
throughout the length of the building that holds
the connectivity of the residence .
 Privacy
Private Semi
Public
Private
Public spaces Public spaces

Entrance Open living

Kitchen Dining
13. Deck
Semi Private spaces

Living room Deck

Stairs bathroom
Private Spaces
 Roof of the building
The entire building has a green roof
 Materials

This building is a good example of brutalism as it

features exposed concrete throughout the building
.
In the interior the architect has used wooden door
and window frames as well as partitions

Tiling is done with kota stone

which is readily available in the
region
 Form
The form of the building is predominantly seen as
a repetition of rectangular elements .
 There are big windows with full glass panes . So
on the façade the glass is also a recurring
material
The roof of some spaces is tilted upwards so as to
showcase the green roof at the façade of the
building .
Circulation
 Climatic aspects of design
Deeply shaded openings on the north and east face
to provide protection from weather .
 Heating elements
There are huge floor to ceiling glass panes on the
bedrooms and living room windows. To protect
from them , bamboo curtains and long overhangs
are given .
Bamboo curtains are provided on the huge
windows to lower the impact of sun on the space .
The entire building is exposed concrete structure
which is light in color and reflects sunlight away .
Positive points
• The building has a green roof which has excellent
insulating properties .
• There is complete segregation of private semi
private and public spaces .
• The deck can be created into a gathering space
during parties or family functions.
• The whole structure is exposed concrete which is
great at reflecting back light making the structure
cooler .
• The window have bamboo curtains and wide
oberhangs to shadow it from sunlight.
The spaces are big enough for people can move About
freely.
Straight forward circulation no hinderance anywhere.
Bathrooms available near the pool so the house do not
get wet when a person has to Go inside the house to
change .
The house is situated between farming lands and the
green roof allows to give a seamless boundary to the
house.
the prominent use of wood gives a feeling of warmth in
the interior of the house.
Negative points
The servant’s quarters could be placed closer to the
main building ,incase of emergency the response
will be faster.
It will be very inconvenient for the servants to
reach the main building .
The plan is very fregmented so each space is an
element in itself .this brings about issues with
security.as if a burglary takes place in one space ,
people in the other space which have no
connectivity with the space will not be alerted
There are bathrooms near the pool but no toilets
so if a person has to use a washroom they would
wet the floor .
Some spaces are unnessesary as they have no big
function of themselves like a box like structure
surrounding the stairs
The Kota stone is not a good thermal insulator so
it will not be suitable to Walk barefoot.
There is such a division of spaces that it will
consume more electrical energy to light each space
up individualy as each space is seperated
compleately from the other .
The ventilation of the kitchen is very close to the
ventilation of the entrance vestibule Which might
give the aroma of food to the entrance .
In the mountains house – Ant Studio
Project name : in the
mountain house
Typology: residential
building
Area : 418.06 sq. m.
Done by : ANT
STUDIO
Year: 2019
Location :
Uttarakhand
 Introduction
An abode where one can commence each day with
a view of the first ray of sunlight hitting the
pinnacle of the Himalayas and culminate with a
warm tangerine glow basked over: is the charming
imagery which forms the crux of the recently
completed residence by Ant Studio. With the
intent of complementing the rugged beauty of the
Himalayas, this residence derives its form from
contours & slopes of the surrounding mountains;
while seeking to become a part of the terrain.
 Location of the building

The building is located in the steep contours of

the mountainous regions of uttarakhand
Orientation of the building

Ground floor plan

Ground floor
This is the
public and the
semi private
area of the
house which is
made by
separating one
continuous
space by
furniture or
partition walls .
 Huge glass skylight helps to
trap sunlight

Fireplace helps to separate the

living area (public)from the
dining area (semi private)

Huge window to let the sun in

and have the beautiful view of
outside

An organic shaped mirror

acts as the focal point of the
dining area
 The guest bedroom can be
accessed right through the
living room ,this increases
the privacy of the space

There is a mini bar situated

right beside the main sitting
space

Access to private quarters

kitchen
A lobby separates
two bedrooms
from each other
both the
bedrooms have a
attached toilet .
 Section through both
the bedrooms

lobby
First floor plan
The first
floor has a
master bed
room
which is
very
spacious it
also has a
sitting
space
incorporat
ed in it.
 Fire place

Sleeping area

sitting

Beautiful three face

exposed balcony
 roof

The roof of the

Residence is a series
of ramped terraces
which provides an
experience similar
to climbing a
mountain the
terraces have a
beautiful view of
the Himalayan
peaks
 Materials
Many materials are used to enhance the design of the
house
There is ample use of glass on the façade and skylights.
Flooring is mostly wooden throughout the house due
to its thermal insulation properties .
Walls are either painted or accented with wood or
brick textures .
Brass is used throughout the house for ornamentation
 Form
With the intent of complementing the rugged beauty
of the Himalayas, this residence derives its form from
contours & slopes of the surrounding mountains;
while seeking to become a part of the terrain.
Climate response
The house being located in uttarakhand which has a
cold climate has to be able to absorb and hold on to
heat
Dark colored flooring absorbs heat
Huge glass windows provide ample of sunlight .
Wooden flooring acts as an insulator and does not get
cold with the climate .
Positive points
Great use of the mesmerizing view which is visible
from everywhere in the house.
The private resting areas are completely seperated
from the public areas.
The guest bedroom has access through the living room
which makes it easier to maintain privacy.
Ample use of glass on the façade and on the ceiling to
capture the heat of the sun
There is a courtyard right beside the kitchen which
brings the nature inside the house.
 The floring of almost the whole house is wooden which
is a great thermal insulator .
 The form of the structure resonates with the
surroundings and blends in perfectly well
 A fire place in the master bed as well as in the living
room mekes the space warm and cosy to live in.
 The guest bed room is huge so that they could feel
comfortable it also has attached bathroom and closet
space
 The entrance and exits are smaller so that the heat is not
lost when someone enters or exits not much heat is lost .
Negative points
The walls could be painted in dark colours to hold on
to the heat better .
There is no advantage of having a sitting of more than
two people in the master bed room , it could have
saved some space .
There is no office or study which could have been
useful . Even a desk would serve nicely if the space
from sitting was saved
The ramped terrace style roof does not have proper
heavy duty railings which it a setback in security of
people walking there .
Mausam – the house of seasons
Project name : Mausam –
house of the seasons
Typology: residential building
Area : 150 sq. m.
Done by : ZERO STUDIO
Year: 2017
Location : mannarkkad
Kerala
 Introduction
More than being low budget, this house is the
outcome of a realization that architecture need not be
expensive and brand new.
everyone wants a home that ‘looks’ rich and expensive.
Like elsewhere, this has caused residential
architecture in Kerala too, to slowly drift away from
using the vernacular materials, techniques and thus
compromising aspects such as climatic
Layout of the house
Two things can be
observed from this
site plan:
1. The built up area is
very less compared
to the total area of
the site .
2. The house is built
very close to the
street . Despite the
site being large
enough to get ample
frontage
s
Elevations
Sections
Public Semi private

Private
 Bedroom

Courtyard with a
water body

Balcony
 Roof
The clay roofing at
varying heights
keeps the heat gain
(though very less
compared to
concrete) away from
affecting the
interiors. Also the
roofing tiles were
brought from a
demolished house
nearby.
 Materials
The choice of material has been from vernacular
options: laterite bricks for the walls, terracotta tiles for
roofing and flooring, natural timber etc. and has been
brought into the design using local workmanship.
Plastering of the laterite walls was affordable
compared to leaving it exposed since it involved
technical expertise which was rather very expensive.
Circulation
Circulation
Climate factors
The clay tile roofing at varying heights keeps the heat
gain (though very less compared to concrete) away
from affecting the interiors. Along with the roof, the
terracotta flooring, ample air movement ensured
through the jalis also adds to the thermal comfort of
the house. The jalis also help generate a play of natural
light in the interiors at various times of the day.
Affordability
The interior of the residence is kept minimal, with the
structural elements which were left bare purposefully,
keeps it true to its own self. Furniture from the client’s
old home has been remodeled and used
The optimization of design, methodology and
material selection without compromising the aesthetic
appeal as well as the requirements of the client, was
the key factor in breaking the notion that all that is
affordable is unattractive. This rather was an attempt
to prove that affordability is a style of design to smartly
bring the best out of it.
Aesthetics
Beautiful cantilevered staircase is placed in the
middle of the house as a centre piece
Landscape details
The choice of landscape elements were derived from
the site and its natural setting itself, comprising locally
grown plants and trees and the existing rubber
plantation in the backdrop. The house being merged
to the landscape and placed along the contour blends
with it. Thus, with the change in seasons the visual
imagery of the house and its setting changes.
Positive points
The house uses methods of vernacular architecture
which makes the building more environmentally
sustainable .
The Interior of the house is made of remodeled old
furniture which drastically cuts the cost
Also materials for roof construction Were taken from a
nearby demolished site .which is a good practice for
the environment .
The outside of the house is located very close to the
street which performs as a dialogue between the
passers-by and the house
The site has ample of Greenery and plantation and a
community well also .
The house looks plain from the outside and not so
called modern or ritch façade is present.
The design is logical and user friendly instead of just
being an ideal modern show piece with no concern for
the user.
Negative points
 The private and the public spaces are very close together so
there is very less privacy.
 The upper floor instead of having a family living could have
two bedrooms and the living could go downstairs
 The space that could be more private is the bed room but
one of the bedroom has an entry right through the living
room which could be a problem if someone is sleeping and
others are watching tv or chatting in the living rooms .
 It Is not necessary to make a covered kitchen it could be
open it would have increased the affordability factor if it
was open.
Things I learnt from these projects
I learnt that vernacular techniques can also be used to
construct Modern and climatically viable structures .
The form of a building when resonates with it’s
surrounding creates a harmony between surrounding
and building and blurs the line between in and out.
Green roofs are a very energy efficient method of
cooling .
A house is a place where a person lowers their guard so
it has to be a fairly secure place . So that a person could
feel at ease . We need to design in a way that gives a
feeling of security .
We do not need to use the whole site to build as long
as we can construct a reasonable space for the
members to live in comfortably.
Less is more , as if the area is lesser then the
maintenance of a structure is quick and convenient.
Climatic response is necessary to live in a place
comfortably .
Reflective surface or lighter colour on the outside of
the building keeps it cool .
Thank you