Fact File
Name of Project: Mango Orchard House
Location: Karamsad, Gujarat, India
Typology: Villa
Area: 13,000 sq. ft.
Photography: Studio Kunal Bhatia
Multiple open-to-sky courtyards carved out of the rectilinear volume strengthen the connection between space and place. In order not to cut a single tree, the footprint of the new structure was contained to the extents of the old home. Even the cobblestone driveway was woven around existing trees. The home has been built out of locally available brick and finished with a sand-faced plaster. The interiors are a combination of locally available slate tiles, wood, and textured paint.
With the mango trees and the landscape looking into the house, the interiors have an inclusive design language that celebrates nature.
Nupur Shah, Principal Architect & Saahil Parikh, Designer
Louvered gates open to a 150-metre cobblestone driveway ending in a cul-de-sac that serves as an ideal drop-off point. The two-storey building has been punctured in multiple places to allow natural light and ventilation from above. A double height living room visually connects both the floors. The ground floor houses the living, dining, kitchen, and guest bedroom, while the three private bedrooms are placed on the first floor. Each bathroom is washed in natural light with the help of open-to-sky courtyards.
The flooring and bathrooms are finished in a local grey slate tile. The windows are finished in black aluminium, and the doors are made of recycled Burma teak stained in a black linseed oil polish. The furniture is made of teak wood, while artworks, accessories, and rugs bring in pops of colour.
A freestanding black metal staircase connects both the floors. Floor to ceiling glass windows allow for a strong visual connection to the mango trees outside. A metal canopy over the entrance and outside the living room allows for nature to blur the boundary between inside and outside. Nature in the form of bougainvillea is slowly allowed to creep onto the built fabric, creating naturally shaded semi-covered spaces.
