When the outdoors become one with the inside!

By Marina Correa 

Photography:  Photographix (Sebastian + Ira); courtesy the firm

Read Time: 2 mins

.

Studio Yamini designs and builds extensions to an existing bungalow whilst refurbishing other areas; all along, chiselling the design vocabulary to a constant…

As families evolve, lifestyles change. With three generations (parents, a young couple and their kids) living under one roof, changing needs led architects Mitul and Mehul Shah of Studio Yamini to help add on an entertainment room, gym, day room, swimming pool with gazebo apart from refurbishing the existing living room, powder bathroom and front garden.  

.

.

.

Since the firm had not designed the existing two-level bungalow, much thought and effort has gone into planning and weaving a distinct cohesiveness, which stands accomplished with great aplomb - by bringing the outdoors in. 

.

.

.

Glass walls allow the day room to directly commune with the garden, whilst large overhangs ensure moderated sunshine. The living room windows are also enlarged to foster harmony between the old and new structures. 

The lush landscape literally and metaphorically becomes a vast canvas against which minimal and contemporary furniture allow for social interactions and entertainment. A jhoola near the pool, two gazebos to maximise time spent outdoors or the tastefully furnished interiors...  Adding a dash of quirk is a circular metallic gazebo cum artwork which sits in the front garden. 

.

.

.

.

Another high point of the project is the play on materials. For example, cement sheet, mirror and teak wood clad the geometrical-shaped bar counter and instantly catch the eye; teak wood with in-situ mosaic flooring (entertainment room) revels in its simple yet dramatic statement. Similar sensibilities prevail in the day room, where natural black stone in its polished version is juxtaposed against its rough sandblasted version – creating a delightful design duet. 

Day room: layout plan

Nuanced pop-ups add zest to the canvas: rattan work sandwiched between the armrest of chairs; horizontal and vertical metal strips as legs of the dining table; exposed brickwork wall highlighted with a dash of silver paint; ikat fabric on the side panels of chair arms, bespoke chandeliers etc, heighten the overall aesthetic. 

Working at congruently tying up all spaces, the architects intentionally keep surfaces clean, crisp and elegant by not playing with too many materials or finishes; thereby, allowing the outdoors to truly take centre stage. 

Fact File:

Design Firm: Studio Yamini 

Principal Architect: Mitul Shah

Design team: Mehul Shah, Abhishek Patel

Built-up Area: Approx. 4,000 sq. ft.

Location: Vadodara, Gujarat