Located along the edge of lush paddy fields in Sangolda – where the project gets its name – the Sangolda House is a part-residence and part studio workshop conceptualised on a long and narrow site. Overlooking the green pastures of the paddy fields on its northern side, the house aimed to maximise views using large geometric openings and linear geometries. The basic programme imagines the two floors as independent units, interspersed with two courtyards to help puncture the structure and create green transitory spaces.
01. Existing Plan from Clients
The design process of the Sangolda House was a unique exploration which emerged around the modification of an existing plan, which was envisioned by the clients and owners of the site. Being designers themselves, the clients had calculated a detailed programme – based on their functional requirements – and laid out the areas in a workable scheme. The main design challenge was to analyse the existing layout and understand which aspects of the plan worked, as well as which parts failed architecturally. In doing so, the massing and modelling of the design needed to relate to this rectified plan, but it also had to bring out a contemporary aesthetic which was functional and contextually relevant. Located in Sangolda, the long narrow site opens to lush green paddy fields on its northern side, while built structures surround it on all other sides.
02. Area Study of Existing Plans
In order to modify the plans received from the clients, a detailed study was conducted to analyse the different areas in terms of size and organisation. The spaces were segregated in terms of its footprint and privacy requirements (i.e., private, semi-public, public) and were then structured in a layout as close as possible to the original plans. The plan was broadly divided into two primary areas of specific function, the residence (which included living rooms, bedrooms with attached bathrooms, dining spaces and kitchens) and a workshop/studio space (which required office spaces for administration work and workspaces for design).
03. The Derivative Grid
A workable grid was devised in order to carefully reorganise the spaces into a plan which increased efficiency, ventilation and functionality. The area studies conducted allowed an in-depth understanding of the required spaces, but also a fresh starting point from which the design could be subtly reworked to increase its architectural potential.
04. 05. 06. Breakdown of the Grid
By puncturing the grid strategically, a sequence of open courtyards could be created, with the remaining spaces arranged around them. Since the exact nature of the plan and its areas were already known, the main aim was to create a circulation rib which connected all parts of the design (marked in orange), and courtyards which would allow light and ventilation to penetrate the sanctum of the structure (marked in green).
The derived grid allowed a fresh starting point to arrange the required spaces, without a complete whitewash of all the thought and care previously put into it by the clients.
07. Massing
The unique focus of the Sangolda House design process was the ability to mass the entire structure based on the calculated grid layouts across two floors, and then redact portions of the form from the built mass. This reductive process proved to be a challenging design exercise – an attempt to sculpt the architectural elements of the house, much like a sculptor would carve a sculpture out of a large monolithic rock. The massing was done in a way to break the scale of the large footprint, as well as demarcate the two primary functions of the house – a vault was proposed over the workshop area, while a sloping roof was designed for the residential portion of the building. Inspiration was taken from the contemporary forms and openings of Ricardo Bofill – punctuating the structure with linear geometries, arches and openings.
08. 09. Ground and First Floor Plans
The final iteration of the Ground Floor Plan arranged all the living spaces around a rectangular courtyard, with large openings facing outward, to admit natural light and ventilation. This idea of puncturing the architectural mass is seen throughout the design, especially as the northern parts of the site opens to large paddy fields, and these views were maximized by providing openings on the northern façade. A larger open courtyard separates the studio space from the main residence block, and offers a light, green transition area between them. Ventilator shafts and ducts are placed throughout the structure, in order to make the plans more porous, to conceal the electrical and plumbing lines running through the design.
15-18. Isometric Views
This sculptural design process resulted in the creation of an architectural object, which can be appreciated from all angles as a carved monolith with reductive geometric forms and linear openings.
19. Section
Since the footprint of the Sangolda House was large, the courtyards were of vital importance, as they allowed light and ventilation to penetrate the design, passively cooling the spaces systematically. This relationship of built to unbuilt, and open to enclosed space, lends character to the architecture, allowing the sculpted object to attain functional usability and efficiency.
20. 21. Elevations
22. Site Plan
Using these concepts of porosity, the structure assimilates itself within its surrounding, opening its northern façade to view the lush green paddy fields, and bringing in the surrounding vegetation into the built structure. The design is tucked towards the side which maximises on contextual views and natural shading, keeping the structure cool. The plan is placed in an arrangement that minimises the loss of the natural vegetation on site, administering them into the design with the strategic use of courtyards and openings.
23. 3D Printed Model
24. Concept Render
MATTER 