The Urban House
Residential I Mumbai, Maharashtra

Area 4,710 Sq.ft

The regulations governing the built-up area on these bungalow plots at Royal Palms, Goregaon, allowed for an FSI of less than 0.25.  Our brief some spoken, some unspoken, was to build a very open, very earthy home, a sheltered part of the green environment of a lake, golf course and a national park beyond – with little “ superfluous area” to build with, we have attempted to build a “ contemporary Indian” glass box with all the architectural devices necessary to open the box completely to let the elements in.
 
The wooden louvres on the staircase facade open with the movement of one horizontal rod.  The 10’-0” high sliding glass doors all through the house were made possible after exploring many hardware stores. The curved roof with country tiles for insulation offsets our orthogonal glass box.   The detailing of saw-cut wood doors, railings, and natural floors bring the glass box to earth, India, and the warmth of a home.