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Residence for Atul and Geetanjali Kulkarni at Sonale in the Thane district of Maharashtra.
The residence was designed keeping the local climate – which is hot and humid and the local village context in mind. The major construction materials- brick and stone were sourced locally . The structure is mostly load bearing with only 3 columns for the stilt area.
The residence in built on a small plateau with a partial slope. The main house sits on one level while an open stilt is formed under the living area and one bedroom. This space is used for workshops and other activities along with a rest room for helpers.
The roof is a fabricated steel structure with internal boarding and mangalore tiles.
We have taken a central open courtyard around which all the main spaces are located. The living room opens up into the verandah and the courtyard giving the feel of a larger space as the requirement was to hold a large number of people in that space for various activities.
The verandah looking into the courtyard acts as a passage between the living room, bedrooms and kitchen and dining area. The rooms have a tall height and ventilators at higher levels so the lower living areas remain cooler.
A library/audio visual room has been placed over the bedroom toilets with a dormer in the roof for a clear headroom. The access to this room is from a stairway in the living room.
The wooden deck cantilevers out on RCC beams. The deck was later covered with an independent lean to roof.
Wooden railing is a traditional design of that region which was made locally.
A simple square bedroom with adjoining covered deck.
Flooring: green terrazzo tiles from Bharat flooring with border tiles.
The bedrooms and the adjoining verandahs have a view of the rice fields
Leather finished red lakha stone flooring.
The kitchen counter is polished red lakha with yellow tiles on the wall.
Brick jali ventilators on walls over the windows
Looking towards the dining room. The window in the dining room was kept low so as to act as a serving window in case the courtyard was used as a dining area in the winters.
The guest bedroom window with the utility behind the courtyard wall visible here.
Entrance lobby as a cut off between the entrance porch and living room. It acts as a space to sit and remove shoes before entering the house.
Seen on the lobby floor here : Carpet tiles from bharat flooring.
The Library at mezzanine floor. Flooring here was polished pine wood.
Low windows at the dining area act as seats.
View showing the Library stairway and the verandah passage. The wooden treads of the stairway are supported on a single central steel tube section. Wooden railing along the wall.
Large folding door provided to cut off the living room and the verandah passage.
Flooring: Yellow Jaiselmer stone
The low height verandah acts as a central passage connecting the living room, bedrooms, kitchen and dining and the courtyard.
Flooring: carpet tiles from Bharat flooring.
No boarding in the roof. The roofing tiles are visible from below.
The stilt being formed below the living room and one bedroom was used as a workshop/activity area open from two sides.
The flooring here is a traditional cow-dung and straw mixture spread.
There is a toilet and small helpers room at this level.
The exposed brick facade was finished with recessed pointing and an exterior paint matching that of the brick, locally known as 'Geru'
