A mini ecosystem has been created in a palatial home for a joint family, in a small township outside Karnal, Haryana which is designed sustainability focused firm Zero Energy Design (ZED) Lab, House Under Shadows and was considered as an experiment in reclaiming the earth in a manner that was eco-friendly, unobtrusive, and even beneficial to the natural flora and fauna of the area.
In order to create a much-needed shade needed to create livable conditions at the site, the idea of creating the canopy came in favour as said by Sachin Rastogi, one of the lead architects on the project.
The Palatial Home and its Luxury Highlights
The property is divided into two separate homes for brothers, each being a mirror-replica of the other. Each home offers the privacy of a discrete structure, while still connected to the other through the shared entrance and double-height canopy. The two wings are kept visually coherent via standard wood ceilings, crafted out of a locally sourced, renewable wood species, and entrances clad in a dark, leather-textured Gwalior mint stone depicting a mix of principles from the past expressed in a modern way.
The canopy, being crafted in digitally modelled, fibre-reinforced polymer set on an MS (mild steel) framework replicates the experience of being in a rainforest, where filtered sunlight dapples through leaves keeping the roof as a very organic element preserving the natural elements with which the house is built. The canopy also serves the function of making all outdoor areas including the swimming pool accessible throughout the year. The shadow patterns keep changing and the same spaces have a different experiential quality while during the night, the dark colour blurs with the night sky.
The wooden roof decreases the impact of sunlight during the day. Nine-inch-thick stone-clad walls, double-glazed windows and a careful arrangement of entrances and windows have helped reduce the thermal mass of the house, and enhanced the cooling efficiency by 20%. The clients themselves planted a variety of trees around the house, carefully placed so that they provide shade and fragrance with lot of birds visiting the canopy, and welcoming more of nature into the house which enriches the environment”
The courtyards in both houses have been fitted with an infinity pool, which serves the additional function of cooling the air and thereby creating a favourable micro-climate within the property. The diffused reflection of the sunlight creates a beautiful ambience and lights up the courtyards beautifully.
The living areas in both houses are designed in such a way that reduces the thermal mass in the bedrooms and allows them to feel cosier and more open. The enclosed hexagonal glass box of the multipurpose hall allows panoramic garden views and is open to the elements, which creates an almost ethereal ambience in the evening.
CONCLUSION
The whole idea of designing and creating a lively, eco-friendly house ornamented with shadow and sunlight, and with all other elements of nature is much needed to create a livable condition for the people, which is also beneficial for the living flora and fauna at a particular site. Thus encouraging, more of such designed houses to create a better living condition for all of us.