This Vadodara home by DF Architects luxuriates in light and connectivity

A seamless programme and sensitivity to the climate engender a crafted, comfortable environment.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: MK Gandhi Studio; courtesy DF Architects

2Box House was conceptually conceived as a home that could maximise communication and connection, an attempt at bringing the residents of the house closer, rather than providing only hyper-private spaces of living. “A combination of structural and aesthetic elements was used to create a configuration which is dynamic and provides spaces of varying heights, dimensions, and energies,” says Devarshi Raninga, principal architect, DF Architects. While the central staircase creates visual lines between the floors above, it also gives way to a double-height living room. A sweeping high ceiling makes up for a double-height balcony in one of the first-floor bedrooms. The brick wall runs tall on the eastern façade of the building, providing a needed balance to the massing while also creating a focal point for the main circulation areas in the house, on all the floors.

Maximising natural light was the most important factor when designing the layout of the house. The kitchen and dining area in the north-east corner of the house receive beautiful morning light but not the harsh afternoon sun during lunch hours. Additionally, these spaces stay bright throughout the day. The southern living room is designed to capture as much natural light as it is flanked by semi-enclosed spaces to create a shadow play and avoid the direct, hot southern sun. The double-height living room has a large north opening, facing the back garden. The light quality in this living room is subtle but bright at all moments of the day.

This vibrant, earth-sensitive home celebrates connections to the outside. It incorporates light and wind into its very fabric, establishing an environment that is replete with positivity and a sense of well-being that only being one with nature can bring.