Blurring the lines between the inside and the outside, integrating with the existing landscape, screening and allowing filtered light in different ways within each space, infusing volumes with light and shadows to transform differently at different times, Zen Spaces is a four-level house.

On a relatively large plot with an existing house on the southern side, the clients wanted a new house as the family had grown larger. Retaining most of the existing garden as a common space for both houses, the new home is built on the extreme northern end with roads on three sides. All the existing trees on the site were retained with the new house ensconced in the clear space between the trees.

To reduce the heat gain in response to the extensive summer and simultaneously provide privacy and reduce noise from the arterial road, the house fronts a series of GFRC screens that sheath the east, west and southern sides with the north side more open.

The design of the house with the courtyard, screens, indirect natural light and complete natural ventilation makes it extremely energy efficient. Contextual to the site location and the climate of the region, Zen Spaces is a home with different experiences in each part, interspersed with nature seamlessly.

Furniture: Westelm, Pinakin Studio, House of Things, Hatsu, Flex stone. Lighting: Ledlum Lighting Solutions, Mascon Lighting. Finishes: Asian Paints, Flex Stone, Nitco, D’Decor. Fittings & Fixtures: Kohler, Hafele, CNR, Grandeur Kitchens.

Photography: Dinesh Mehta