This home offers a harmonious blend of heritage and contemporary living

Archipoint fashion a timeless abode in Bardoli through meticulous design, structural ingenuity, and a steadfast commitment to sustainability.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Tejas Shah; courtesy Archipoint

The site

Standing amidst the quaint residences of Old Town in Bardoli is a distinctive row-house illustrating the artistry of design and meticulous planning. It represents the transformation of an old home and a shop into a contemporary whole.

The brief

“The home is conceived for a discerning NRI couple seeking to embrace the serenity of their roots during the golden chapter of their lives,” discloses Dharmesh Shah of Archipoint which was commissioned the task of creating a residence that would seamlessly weave together traditional aesthetics with contemporary comforts.

The spatial flow

The spatial symphony of the residence unfurls a tale of functionality and comfort across its various levels. From the ground floor hosting parking, a courtyard, and utility spaces to the second floor featuring master bedrooms with attached toilets and balconies, each level contributes to a narrative of architectural luxury.

The architectural narrative unfolds within the unique context of a row house, where streets gracefully intertwine with the dwelling’s essence, allowing access both from the front and the rear. The front serves as the gateway to the home, while the rear transforms into a storefront, creating a seamless integration of personal and professional realms.

The front elevation facade stands as a testament to structural innovation, boasting 10-foot cantilevers employing PT beam and slab technology, adorned with exposed brick and concrete finishes. Industrial elegance permeates through raw concrete stairs, encapsulating the ethos of embracing the inherent beauty of every space.

A crowning jewel of the design manifests in strategically positioned skylights within the verdant courtyard. Operable glass roofs on the terrace level infuse the second-floor bedroom and first-floor living room with an abundance of natural light, effortlessly blurring the boundaries between interior and exterior realms.

Internally, the design epitomises the notion that every space, no matter how confined, presents an opportunity. The integration of air, ventilation, and opulence in this slender row house attests to the architects’ skill in balancing the creation of a new structure with the preservation of the old.

The civil intervention

Addressing the architectural challenges posed by the existing site – a fusion of an aged wooden house and a functional shop – sparked inventive solutions that define the soul of this dwelling. Preserving the functionality of the existing shop during construction demanded a delicate equilibrium, a task executed with finesse to seamlessly incorporate it into the new structure.

A noteworthy accomplishment lies in the management of plinth height, says Dharmesh. “Initially 4 feet, it was reduced to 2.5 feet to elevate the existing shop’s stature. This not only optimised spatial efficiency but also birthed a kitchen garden above, embodying a harmonious marriage of functionality and aesthetics through meticulously calibrated levels.”

The material palette

While the front elevation uses brick and concrete, the rear one employs terracotta bricks. Raw concrete is also used to create the front staircase. The internal staircase, on the other hand, is rendered in Corian with an MS structure. The interiors use Italian stone UPVC windows and veneer.

The challenges

The internal staircase, a captivating fusion of challenge and beauty, emerges as a masterpiece. Fashioned from 10-mm MS plates folded from one wall to another and clad in 6-mm and 12-mm Corian, it boasts a mere 28-mm thickness. Resource efficiency takes centrestage with wasted marble being employed on the staircase landings.

Fact file

Project: Trupti
Location: Bardoli, Gujarat
Area: Approximately 4,500 sq ft (built up)
Principal architect: Dharmesh Shah
Design team: Ashish Mohite, Saddam Karimi, Payal Chaudhary, Jay Bhandari, Bhavik Sukani and Dharm Panchal