Looking Inwards

Project: Soul Garden, Hyderabad, Telangana Architects: Spacefiction Studio, Hyderabad, Telangana

In Hyderabad, the smallest plot size available in most of the residential layouts of the city is about 200 sq yards or roughly 170 sq metres. The requirement of a large unit on such a small plot called for an introverted solution with a garden at the centre, around which the rest of the spaces could function. This garden was lifted up to accommodate the parking, a room for the domestic help as well as a games room on the stilt floor. An extra room was added on the terrace for guests. All services were delegated to the south, as a buffer to the heat. The living/dining areas surrounding the garden were provided with sliding glass doors to contain the air conditioning within. When these are slid open, the entire length of the house behaves as a single space connected by the garden. Two bedrooms are placed on the next higher level, connected by a corridor with a concrete bench.