Surat: A practical yet artistic home that borrows inspiration from Raza’sBindu

With a tight rectangular plot measuring 24 ft x 56 ft, Mayur Mangukiya and Ankit Sojitra ofStudio 17were required to provide a bungalow for clients with a simple lifestyle. “Although their wish list was not at all demanding, we had to allocate spaces thoughtfully to ensure a practical flow of movement,” says Sojitra. Flanked by two walls which were shared with adjoining properties, options became further limited on the site. “We knew that there would be almost no natural light from these two sides of the plot,” says Mangukiya. The clients, however, expressed a desire for a home awash with sunlight.

Mangukiya and Sojitra clearly recognise that with every commission, regardless ofbudget, scale or type, comes an opportunity to further architecture’s formal, civic and social agendas. Their practical deliberations concluded that the layout and allocation of spaces would be a primary concern, as well as the litmus test of their design skills. “Solutions-led” thinking was essential to this project—juggling the proportions of the home elegantly and with flair.

Exterior

A small grey structure with two storeys above the ground floor, clearly indicates that the width of the building only accommodates one room. Glass safety railings for the balconies emphasise the contemporary aesthetic, the transparency lending a light feel without any bulk. On the top floor, a large brick planter brings warmth to the grey shades of the walls, its terracotta tones acting as a counterpoint in the visual composition. Its colour is picked up by the staircase tucked away on the side of the building.

The ground floor houses a two-car park and a multipurpose room which can be used for parties. Storage is tucked below the staircase, keeping the area clutter free.

Staircase

Leading to the main entrance on the first floor, thestaircasehas a visually delightful geometry in its dissimilar steps which play with both width and colour, black and brown complementing each other. The thoughtful attention to detail has infused the narrow space with a sense of style and sophistication.

First Floor

A living room with a muted colour palette leads to an open plan kitchen. Apparently counterintuitively, the kitchen cum dining area is located in the centre of the layout and enjoys a double height ceiling with a skylight at the top. This serves the dual purpose of ventilating the space as well as inviting natural light into the centre of the home.

“If we had tried to place the living room in the centre so that it could enjoy the vertical volume, we’d have had to place the kitchen towards the front of the bungalow, resulting in the main access to the home being through the kitchen,” says Mangukiya. To avoid this awkward, impractical arrangement, the duo felt it was more acceptable to use the double height volume for the kitchen instead.

One wall has an artwork of handpicked stones with a painted patina finish, set in a mild steel grid. This grid echoes the one on the ceiling, skylights being set in an alternating pattern like a chess board. Shallow inverted domes in different sizes form multiple light pendants which cascade downwards, offering illumination after sunset. A 20-foot ladder has been tucked away in the storage, ensuring accessibility for maintenance and cleaning whenever needed.

Kitchen

The kitchen itself has been finished in a colour palette which one would not associate with mundane activities such as cooking and cleaning. Rich browns dominate, offering a contrast to the brass inlay, giving it a sophisticated aesthetic befitting the adjacent living room of which it is an extension.

Further inside, a bedroom brings up the rear of the space together with a puja room and a space for utilities.

Second Floor

The bedrooms on the floor above enjoy Juliet balconies which overlook the kitchen and dining space. Consisting of a balustrade in front of a floor length opening without a full “deck” to walk on, they nevertheless offer a connectivity with the space below. The bedroom at the front of the home enjoys a balcony which overlooks the street, while the one at the back faces a verdant view.

The material palette was very largely dictated by the common occurrence of termite infestations in the area. “Despite carrying out extensive pest control measures, even bringing in a carton could potentially invite an army of the dreaded insects into the home. Consequently, we restricted the use of wood and plywood to the bare minimum and used tile and stone as substitutes wherever possible. This is why the walk-in wardrobe in the master bedroom has no shutters—to do away with the possibility of providing fodder for termites,” says Sojitra.

墙后面的床虽然穿着瓷砖,出现to be wood until a closer look betrays the identity of the material used. While colours are restricted to natural tones, some tightly reined punches of colour come from the upholstery.

Throughout the home, the artwork draws inspiration from Raza’s “bindu.” And inspiration it is, not be confused with copycat attempts to imitate a celebrated artist. Through various iterations, the concept finds a place on the walls of bedrooms and the living room, different yet similar in its incarnations. The contemporary feel of the space is enhanced by the repeated use of geometrical shapes, circles and triangles dominating the thoughtfully fabricated art on the walls. While there are no “important” pieces to use as a crutch, the design holds its own.

With spaces which resonate with the fuss-free lifestyle of the clients, the offering of Studio 17 is low on maintenance yet provides a timeless style—striking a subtle balance between simplicity and sophistication.