Residence for Nihla Ayub

Location: Chennai, India
Site area: 4,740 sq.ft
Built-up area: 9,000 sq.ft
Status: Built (2024)

This is a 9,000 sq.ft house designed for a couple, along with their two kids and mother. It is planned in such a way that the ground floor is used for parking, entrance, staff accommodation and services. First floor is generally a semi private area as it includes places for entertaining guests, which includes living, dining, and kitchen. Apart from that, it also has the mother’s bedroom which has a lounge within it. Second and third floors are purely private, which includes bedrooms and a private family lounge. The residence was designed in such that give a transition from the busy urban life of Nungambakkam in Chennai to a residential atmosphere connected with nature. The house is designed with a central stair over a water body forms the heart of the residence, taking the person through a series of water bodies at different levels. The house was designed in a stacked manner with pockets of natural vegetation to tackle the hot climate of Chennai and at the same time connecting the inhabitants through green spaces which stretch from outside to the inside and along with a series of water bodies. The residence is also equipped with solar panel roofing covering the terrace space. The usage of porotherm bricks, wood flooring along with glass brings in a sense of warmth into the interior spaces.