D’well designs a traditional-modern home in Surat

The eco-friendly rammed-earth technique is used in the creation of the Frammed Earth House.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Karan Gajjar; courtesy D’well

A multi-generational family of six earmarked D’well to design a new structure in place of their old one at Surat. The design team’s goal for this house was to create the right balance of tradition and modernity — which is beautifully reflected in the techniques and materials used in its creation. The essence of the old residence has also been delicately retained keeping in mind the sentiments and personalities of the owners who have a modern outlook and are yet deeply grounded. The idea of incorporating earthy materials stemmed from the culturally rooted lifestyle of the inhabitants. One of the most striking elements in the planning of the house is the strategic use of the well-known yet rarely used sustainable practice of rammed-earth.

The house is surrounded by residences leaving a single facade whose elevation could be exploited, the west. The second floor master bedroom has been placed on the south-west as a cantilevered cube with its walls built with rammed earth. The 14” rammed earth walls facing the afternoon sun provided natural insulation to maintain the temperature and give a dominantly cool atmosphere to the room. This also creates a beautiful contrast with the stone granule texture with which the rest of the building has been finished. Further, the architectural appeal has been aesthetically enhanced by creating an elevation frame around the jutting cube making it the cynosure of the “frammed” earth house.

The residence complies with the extensive brief to provide two living rooms (on the first and second floors), four bedrooms, dining and pooja areas, kitchen and parking on the ground floor. The house layout can be categorised as extroverted — lively common spaces are a regular feature in the house owing to the residents’ amiability and frequent interactions with their neighbourhood. On the other hand, what is integral to the design is the green plug-ins for plentiful air and ventilation. The carefully carved out balconies and features like skylights have been incorporated to accentuate these. Pergolas extending out from the terrace not only create an interesting sciagraphy at different times of the day, but they also form a visually perforated barrier for privacy with falling creepers from the terrace.

Keeping in mind the grounded essence of the project, the cantilevered treading staircase has been finished in wood and has a brass finished railing. The furniture done in smoked teak wood stands out from the beige accented flooring… all of which are comprised of warm tones exuding an earthy feel in the interiors too.