Location: LUCKNOW, India.

Architect: SANJAY PURI ARCHITECTS.

Lucknow city in India is known for its rich heritage and numerous buildings dating back to the 18th century. A new house has been built on the peripheral edge of a plotted development for private homes, along a busy arterial road. The house has been designed in response to the climate of the location, with temperatures in the long summer months exceeding 35° C and the sun in the southern hemisphere. The design alludes to the traditional Indian courtyard house, with sheltered open terraces and landscaped gardens around a 2-floor-high naturally ventilated courtyard. The house features patterned screens derived from traditional Indian architecture and the famous Lucknow ‘chikan’ embroidery, which sheath outdoor seating areas for each room on the south, west and east sides. These screens provide shelter from the sun, create different light patterns throughout the day and mitigate traffic noise from the busy arterial road on the southern side. Large glass windows on the northern side allow indirect light to infuse the internal spaces of the house. The house has varying volumetric proportions with differing sectional spaces, creating an individual identity to each living space with the courtyard cohesively integrating them together. It has been built almost entirely in raw concrete, with a natural palette of sandstone and wood with muted colours, vivid Indian art and landscape brought together in different compositions in each of the internal volumes. A large garden on the north penetrating up to the internal courtyard between rooms has partial shadows at most times of the day allowing it to be used in the extensive summers too. The design of the house facilitates natural ventilation and sunlight within and is simultaneously contextual to the location, sun articulation, tradition, culture and social aspects. The house offers a series of experiences, with each living space having its own unique identity. The design of the house is a response to the climate of the location, with the traditional Indian courtyard house being used as inspiration. The house features patterned screens and large glass windows and has been built almost entirely in raw concrete with a natural palette of sandstone and wood. The house has a large garden in the north, which can be used in the extensive summers too. The design of the house facilitates natural ventilation and sunlight within and is contextual to the location, tradition, culture and social aspects.

Photo credit: mr.dinesh mehta.