“An important thing about this project was formlessness. Can architecture be felt?” — Veeram Shah

Most homeowners rely on the facade to make a statement with their homes. The elevations are widely understood as the feature that gives a home its identity.

Naturally, the project architect, Veeram Shah was thrown by the unusual preference of the client when he said he didn’t particularly care what the elevation looks like or what the form turns out to be. Shah used this as an opportunity to deliver a house that is not guided by its forms. Read on to know more about what his conversation with Buildofy revealed.

FACT FILE

FORM FOLLOWS FEELING

The Enclosure is a single-storey house located in the area of Himmatnagar in Ranasan, Ahmedabad on a plot measuring about four acres. The complete estate comprises three guestrooms and four master suites.

A poignant question that Shah asked himself was if architecture can be felt, having been struck by the client’s desire for formlessness. There is a bhajan called Nirbhay Nirgun, which ponders the question: why must we worship the outline of God and not His attributes? This pondering perfectly summarises how the design approach to this project was — being led by the feeling of the spaces more than its appearance.

Given a bare site, the design began by creating the site’s context itself. A principle thought guiding the philosophy was to diminish the structure’s scale. This has been done by depressing the abode into the earth and using the excavated land mass to create mounds on the outside. As a result, all the external walls of this house are retaining walls that hold the mass of the mounds back. This further adds intrigue for one standing inside the house because, at every egress, it is impossible to tell on which level is one going to come out. The levels inside the house add to this playful intrigue.

The formless outline of the house was inspired by perusing the paintings by Le Corbusier — his imperfect curves, to be precise — which is where the footprint of the house is incepted from.

PLAN OF CURVES AND LINES

The ‘formless’ form is derived from two dynamic curves and two bold, static lines which do not intersect with each other. The point where the curves come close to converging is the point of entry into the structure.

The spaces then settled into the created outline almost naturally as per their requirements — the foyer in the gap created by the main curves, the common kitchen hidden behind the foyer so that it can cater to both the main living and dining area and the private lounge, the prayer hall en route to the interior spaces from the entrance acting as a pause, and so on.

The more you move ahead, the house appears as if it is expanding. The passages split to make way for an arresting focal point that snaps your gaze with a Gulmohar tree growing in a courtyard that is open to the sky. A transition space, which is the passage leading from the public living room to the private bedroom suites, holds another point of pause. A swing invites you to sit facing an opening in the curved wall lining the Gulmohar courtyard. This opening acts as a viewing gallery with the tree being the subject of the frame.

Every suite and bedroom space has access to the pockets of open spaces that punctuate the built mass of this residence. The guest wing also has its own private landscaped space adjacent to their rooms — this is in addition to the common open spaces that are accessible via the main corridor.

Tucked at the end of the plan, are the master suites for the clients and their son. These too have their own private court in between them. A passage with turreted skylights lights up the way. The suites themselves have pockets to let more light in, greatly enhancing the experience and the quality of these spaces.

Other areas of the house include the recreational spaces that have been planned in the vicinity of the suites. These include the pool, steam sauna and changing rooms, lounge area and gymnasium. The entertaining areas at the entrance hold the party lawn, the lounge and the artist lounge.

STONED ALL THE WAY

The material palette was deliberately designed to be simple. Kota being a staple, the house leans into embracing the stone in all its glory. While the internal areas needed polished Kota, Shah decided to use the outdoor spaces as the playground for experimenting with this medium, using a variety of shapes and patterns. An upside of this decision was that, as a result of this versatility, the transition spaces could be designed to utilise what would otherwise have been wasted material.

Apart from the Kota stone, another staple material, according to Shah, is teak wood. This is another shade of colour and texture that is prominent in this house. The selection criteria were to offset the harsh materials with complementing softer ones.

For example, with terracotta being the material that guides you through the house, the same colour is resonated in other areas with even the pool — which typically uses cool tiles — lined in tiles of an earthen hue.

LUXURIOUS SIMPLICITY

The luxury of the Enclosure lies in its simplicity — a characteristic that needed to flow into the bathrooms of this house too. Shah did not believe that popular luxury materials such as polished Italian marble or any fancy stone or tile would have done justice to the design.

Hence, the bathrooms came to be finished in micro concrete with a monotonous colour scheme. Within the colour range, the surfaces of these areas display a vivid play of textures and patterns that add character. Skylights in these areas further enliven these corners, adding drama to these simplistic materials.

Another experiment in simplicity is the shuttered concrete walls that make up most of the external and internal surfaces. The client strongly preferred employing the locals rather than sourcing labour from the main city — something that otherwise was an added extra cost too. Shah discovered a local contractor who made him a sample wall in exposed concrete using hand-sawed wooden slat shuttering, which lent imperfect, unpredictable and honest wooden imprints on the concrete that Shah found immensely beautiful. “It is not something that can be achieved, it is something that happens,” he said. Relying on this “anticipated imperfection,” this was chosen to be the primary finish for the entire abode.

As the project spanned over seven years and was disrupted by various delays, including two lockdowns, the team had ample opportunity to reassess their ideas about architecture. Throughout this time, the team addressed every aspect of the project, including architecture, interiors, and landscaping, to develop a comprehensive design language. They paid close attention to detail — down to the furniture, hardware, and light fittings, which were rigorously customised by their craftsmen. Shah describes the project as a true celebration of the act of creation, with each element crafted with care and precision to achieve the client’s vision.

Words do not do justice to the story of the Enclosure. Don’t miss the complete video where Shah lays out the whole journey in a candid fashion. Download the eBook for the complete collection of stunning pictures that capture every essence of this residence. Browse through other luxury homes in India on the website by clicking here.