April 20, 2006

This week Qurratulain Poonawala visits a house that is truly contextual in terms of planning and face value

In modern times when western commodities and mind-sets seemed to have overpowered our markets and our minds, and the elite being the target market, indigenous houses as a status symbol, stand out as winners in placing the high stakes on our revered traditions and establishing their value for all that it is worth.

One such house which is a tangible advocate of a blend of traditional values and modern lifestyles belongs to Arshad and Nayyar. The house is truly contextual in terms of planning and face value. The architecture speaks volumes of its dwellers as one approaches the mud plastered house, accentuated by large, vertical mahogany coloured wooden windows.

The intimate, two storey house unfolds as soon as you enter the wooden gate. The main entrance door receives you head on, whereas the rough pavers lead to an L-shaped patio-cum garden to the right. You find yourself in a play of light and shadow, under a wooden pergola, as you climb up the steps which take you to the main entrance. The door opens into a small foyer space beyond which lies the formal drawing room. The large drawing room, furnished in good taste, overlooks into the patio and the garden outside, thus establishing an unspoken connection between the interior and the exterior. To the left of this room lies the dining area for the guests, with doors opening out onto the garden.

A door to the left of the foyer leads to the private spaces of the house. A low height wall, with jali work, partially conceals the pantry-cum-informal eating area which lies behind it. A family living room lies to the right of the eating area, the demarcation being done with the use of multi-textured flooring materials.

The focal point of the whole house is a sweeping helical staircase in mahogany coloured wood, which acts as a metaphoric pivot for the living spaces. The stairs curve down into the basement which has a multi-purpose space and curve up to lead to the upper floor which houses all the bedrooms. A family living room is the central space which leads to the rooms. What catches the attention is a pair of unusually low chairs made of wood and cane.

A door from the living area leads to a pergola covered patio, which looks down into the garden. This informal sitting space which also acts as a sun room, boasts of a variety of plants and a cruciform fountain in the centre covered with ceramic tiles in Persian design.

The windows layered with traditional woven chiks in rustic colours, selective pieces of traditional wood and cane furniture and the use of textured materials in earthy tones, makes the house reverberate with a craft-like quality where the place comes together to become a mosaic of colours, textures and materials.

Its all in the name of inculcating in our conscious design senses, the concept of ‘indigenous architecture’ as a distinct style in the local architectural context and as a social attitude and lifestyle statement for its dwellers.

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