Designed by architects Jhanvi Mehta Shah and Rakshit Shah of D’WELL, The Ancestral House (Lilivadi) is a 2,500 bungalow at Meta, a traditional town in Gujarat. The bungalow is owned by diamond merchant (and his family) who migrated to Surat for business expansion. The architects were commissioned the family to design a home on their ancestral land for generations to come. The design concerns evolved around a constant quest to translate traditional-vernacular concepts into a contemporary vocabulary.
The challenge was an irregular shaped land with shared walls on three sides, and an open front on the west. Hence, the intention was to carve out the built and keep it as porous as possible providing a constant flow of light and ventilation. The architects consciously designed the facade such that it harmoniously merges with the surroundings, and becomes part of the streetscape. The small squares seen on the facade are borrowed from a very interesting pattern seen on the parapets of the surrounding houses. This same language of intricacy is crafted in metal grills at openings; creating an interesting play of light and shade on surfaces, also ensuring safety.
The verandah in front is a continuation of the traditional ‘osri’ that maintains the hierarchy of open, semi-open and enclosed spaces. Traditional houses follow a central courtyard typology in the hot and dry climate of Banaskantha district. The living room is designed with a minimal colour palette that complements the inbuilt traditional Indian seating. The dining space is developed volumetrically as the extended living space with openings that keep the entire house naturally lit and ventilated. The bridge connects two rooms on the upper floor and looks over a double-heighted space; rejoicing the wash of skylight while providing vertical connectivity. The spaces are comparatively larger in scale in order to accommodate a large group of people on occasional gatherings and allow flexibility of multipurpose usage. This brings back an opportunity of co-living that seems to be diluting in current times of separate designated spaces for every individual.
To celebrate the roots of the family’s business, a dedicated corner is planned as an accountant’s place. This ancestral arrangement holds a true sentimental value to the family. An open light well is carved out at the east corner of the plot to amplify cross-ventilation of the house further illuminating the bedrooms with natural light. Similarly the kitchen is extended into a semi-open wash area. Due to dry climate and a constant scarcity of water, traditionally a room was dedicated to store water in brass vessels. These ancestral brass vessels are placed as ornamentation in different corners of the house, attaching a sentimental value for the generations to come.
Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Dhrupad Shukla; courtesy D’WELL
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