Natural Oasis

The Inside-Out House created by MODO Designs in Ahmedabad for a family of four is perfectly tailored for them to spend quality time surrounded by beautiful views.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Ishita Sitwala, courtesy MODO Designs

A view of the front facade from the parking area. The lower area of the house has full length glass to connect the outdoors and indoors.

The brief

Arpan Shah, principal architect of Ahmedabad-based MODO Designs was commissioned to design a four bedroom home for a couple and their two daughters. Named the Inside-Out House, the project stands on a 5,000-square-yard plot on Bopal Ambli road, a posh area in western Ahmedabad. The client brief was to create a house that is open, well-ventilated, with all the bedrooms overlooking the vast backyard garden. The family also wanted Arpan to keep security as a major priority while designing the house.

The outer court and verandah can be viewed from the entry vestibule.

The design intent

The concept began by mapping the existing trees on the site where some mango trees were incorporated in the primary layout designs. The layouts further explored the possibilities of integrating archetypal courtyards which can blend with the interior spaces.

The design and material details

The exterior of the house is a monolithic form of exposed concrete; with complementing wooden screens which serve the security requirements. The lower area of the house feature full length glass to connect the outdoors and indoors, and the bedrooms have wooden louvers to address privacy. Besides privacy, the louvers also benefit in securing and ventilating the rooms.

A view of the rear facade. The connectivity of the indoors with the outdoors is clearly visible in this image.

As for the interiors, the entire house is intended as a flow of spaces, modulating light and changing vistas. On arrival, the vestibule space offers a fantastic view of the courtyard and the garden beyond. Here, the heaviness of the kota stone flooring and exposed RCC wall is lightened with a bespoke yellow sofa. The artisan Jaipur rug, the customised layered brass and wooden floor lamp, and the wooden sculpted wardrobe softens the concrete around. For the living room, wood, concrete, soft textures from the furnishings, and a black and white bamboo silk customised rug are integrated together alongside concrete. The central feature of the dining space is a circular staircase, sculpted out of mild steel with timber for treads. Adjoining the dining space is the mango tree courtyard, acting as a low-maintenance space for laid-back activities.

The inner court which is open to the sky can be viewed from the living and dining areas.

The most vital and essential space of the house would be the semi-open verandah which is between the outer court and rear garden, and next to the living space. This exclusive space that is inside and yet part of the outside, offers a unique sense of belonging — it is both, a space for family get-togethers, and a place where one can connect with oneself.

On the garden side, the ground floor bedroom and first floor bedrooms flow into their respective verandah and balconies, getting maximum advantage of natural light and cross-ventilation. All the washrooms feature stone and wood. All the brass and wooden light structures, and the wooden and brass door hardware were designed by the interior designer, and are locally made.

In the living room the roughness of the concrete is softened by the warmth of the wood paneling and the plush furnishings.

The highlights

The highlight is of this house is its central bay which comprises of three courtyards — the inner court, the outer court and a third court (with a mango tree) which is an extension of the dining area. These series of courtyards which allows the house to be connected inside-out, gives it its name.

Adjoining the dining space is the mango tree courtyard, a casual sit-out space for laid-back activities.

The challenges

The inner and outer courtyards are the soul of the house. “Introducing these dual courtyards that segregate the front and the rear bay of the house was the most challenging aspect. Also, to address issues of security, rains and dust in the inner court where living, dining and formal drawing opens, operable louvers were introduced that can be shut or kept open during different times of the day. Whereas, the outer court is kept open to sky with sliding wood screens on the garden side to secure the space at night yet allowing breeze into the spaces,” explains Arpan.

Fact File

Project: Inside-Out House
Location: Bopal-Ambli road, Ahmedabad
Area: 12,600 sq ft (built-up)
Principal architect: Arpan Shah
Design team: Sandeep Biswas and Kankshita Pandit
Interior designer: Anar Gunjaria Interiors
Structural consultant: Bhoomi Consultants
Landscape designer: Studio 2+2
MEP consultant: Jhaveri consultants