Paradiso

A 2-acre plot in a mushrooming residential suburb of Pune posed a unique challenge for its owners; that of ensuring for their home, visual privacy from the towering high-rise apartments in the neighborhood. The clients expressed their desire to reside in a home, infused with the greenery of vast landscaped lawns and the serenity of calm waters, blending their contemporary functional needs with a regal air of luxury. The design solution for the project proposed an innovative structural design, to be complemented by bright, daylit interiors finished in plush upholstery and muted tones accented by splashes of colour.

Built for a joint family spanning three generations, Paradiso not only success-fully protects its private spaces, but also allows the family to actively engage with nature and landscape through an intelligent form and strategic placement of openings.

The design solution is composed of three tubular structures separated by light filled passages. These 'residential-tubes' open out to private gardens on the east and west of the plot, their vast overhangs blocking visual access and providing shade to the glazed openings. The overhangs create deep recessed verandahs which act as private sit-outs for bedrooms and living spaces.

Connecting hallways mimic musical flutes, their linear skylights admitting dynamic notes of shifting lights and shadows into the circulation spaces throughout the day. Living areas set along the tubes are zoned into private, semi-private and entertainment areas, each dotted with landscape elements, weaving the interiors gently into their external environment.

The central courtyard, along with air shafts and exhausts, sets up a passive cross ventilation system through the hollow perforated tubes, while water bodies temper the microclimate of living spaces through evaporative cool-ing. Warm sprays of natural light filtering in through the courtyards and sky-lights highlight the geometry of the built form, while complementing the earthy material tones of the interior spaces. The angular forms of the open-ings generate controlled, yet stunning views of the pool and gardens from each living space in the house.

A suspended circular deck acts as an interesting seating element, projecting out toward the pool facing verandah, forming a visual link between the upper hallways and the surrounding greenery of the rear lawn. A floating steel and wood staircase delicately connects the lower courtyard with the upper floor, accented by a water body lined with white pebbles. The formal living room utilizes its expansive vertical volume by the use of murals, decorative lighting features and double height sheer curtains. White Satuario and Mustard Travertino marble flooring exudes an unders-tated elegance, while complementing the earthy theme of natural veneers and laminates used for cladding. Soft furnishings reflect a classy vibe, in-corporating pastel colours into the interiors. Bathrooms are finished in wood veneer, acting as ‘spa’ like spaces for re-laxation and quiet rejuvenation.

A strong structural geometry, combined with the minimalism of built forms and finishes allows architecture and interior to blend with landscape, its living spaces attempting to meet Tao – the union of Yin and Yang. True to its name, the home is a suburban paradise that asserts lavishness and luxury for its occupants through a deep, empathetic connection with nature.