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Home Trends Vol 4 No 1 2013
Home Trends Vol 4 No 1 2013
more homes at trendsideas.com
97
Holding court
Expansive views and open courtyards define this New Delhi villa
by DADA & Partners
Center Court, the 13,000 sq ft villa designed
by Sumit Arora of DADA & Partners is testament to clean design and its ability to elevate a
project. Located in New Delhi on a 2.5 acre plot
of land, the house is a six bedroom residence
and has an abundance of recreational space,
both indoors and outdoors. The contemporary
influence is clearly visible in the design and
showcases a vocabulary, which is sculpted and
uncluttered, with a strong visual continuity.
“The client’s inkling towards contemporary
aesthetics influenced the building’s design,”
adds Arora.
Home & Design Trends Vol 2 No 7 2014
The building sits on a H-shaped plan. “We
achieved this by placing two volumes parallel
to each other on the plot and then connecting
them with a third volume, perpendicular to the
rest and perched above them,” Arora explains.
This configuration gave rise to the creation
of two courtyards, one to the north and one to
the south. The house is named after the northern courtyard, which is positioned at the
confluence of the house’s three volumes and
adjacent to the outdoor pool.
This placement makes it a hub of activity in
the house. The southern courtyard features a
Preceding pages and facing page:
The 13,000 sq ft villa in New Delhi
by architect Sumit Arora of DADA &
Partners reflects a clean, minimalist
design sensibility, creating an air of
transparency with glazed glass.
Above: The glazed glass offers
uniterrupted views of the courtyard
and the reflective pool, as the view
of the southern courtyard from the
eastern wing of the house shows.
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Above left: The dining room
overlooks the central courtyard and
is also visually connected to the
entertainment room.
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drive court for the owner’s vehicles. These outdoor landscapes exhibit use of granite slabs and
cobbles, reinforcing a minimalist aesthetic.
The eastern wing is a single-storey volume
with high ceilings. This is the more public of the
two wings of the house, containing the entry
foyer, formal living room and dining area with
an adjoining bar. A timber and steel bridge
spans the width of a reflective pool to connect
the outdoor drive court to the entry foyer.
Across the courtyard, the western wing is a
more private space. The bedrooms are situated
here and the upper floor of this wing boasts of
two master suites.
One of the master suites faces west, towards
the manicured lawns, while the other overlooks
the courtyard and pool. The second suite also
has a connecting lounge as well as an extended,
covered terrace. A small gymnasium with
an outdoor landscaped terrace is also part of
this wing.
The dining area and bar stand out for their
floor-to-ceiling glazed windows and sliding
doors, which connect the indoor and outdoor
areas while blurring the boundaries between
them. The expansive dining area has large windows that offer views of both of the house’s
courtyards. To the south it overlooks a special
granite stone feature wall rising from the reflective pool and to the north it has views of the
swimming pool and landscaped lawn. Across
the courtyard from the dining area, the ground
storey of the western volume features the entertainment area. Once again, the use of
floor-to-ceiling glazed windows for the entertainment area creates a sense of transparency
throughout the house. The projection screen in
the entertainment room can be viewed from the
northern courtyard and formal dining area
as well.
The central volume serves mainly to link the
two opposite halves of the house. It features a
sculpted white stairway, with floating steps and
a glass railing.
Speaking about the liberal use of glass in
this project, Arora says, “With full glazing on
Left: The floating stairway with the
glass banister in the focus of the
house. It offers views of both wings
and courtyards of the house. The
full-length glass windows serve to
increase the impact.
more projects at trendsideas.com 101
both sides, this part of the house offers views of
both courtyards. The glazing seen throughout
the house is a means to achieve a strong visual
continuity in this project and make the most of
the expansive views surrounding the property.
The interiors have deliberately been kept minimal to draw attention to the beautiful vistas all
around.”
Center Court also displays how sustainability
can be woven into a lavish project such as this
one. The eponymous courtyard with its outdoor
swimming pool creates a cool microclimate
within the house and enhances natural ventila-
Home & Design Trends Vol 2 No 7 2014
tion. The smaller courtyards and voids scattered
throughout the house also serve to facilitate
natural ventilation.
In addition, south-facing water collectors
heat water for the toilets and kitchens using
solar power.
The understated design remains consistent
throughout, with an emphasis on highlighting
the surrounding views. This project is best
summed up by the architect himself, “The clean
horizontal lines, sculpted rectangular forms,
extensive glazing and wide sliding screens combine to create the desired visual delight.”
Facing page: By using skylights, the
architect created smaller courtyards
throughout the house to assist
the passage of natural light and
ventilation through the villa.
Top & above left: The west wing of
the house houses the bedrooms and
private spaces. It’s also where the
lounge is situated.
Above: The northern courtyard lies
adjacent to both the dining area and
the entertainment room.
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Above: The swimming pool borders
the northern courtyard and goes
beyond the recreational use while
helping to create a cooler microclimate within the central courtyard
of the villa.
Story by Dushyant Shekhawat
Photography by Ranjan Sharma
Architect & designer: Sumit Arora; Design & Development
Atelier (DADA)
Builder: Ess Aar Infratech Pvt Ltd, Sanskar Homes
Cladding: Amit Marbles Pvt. Ltd.
Tiling: Kajaria Ceramics, Somany Tiles
Flooring: Amit Marbles, Johnson Tiles
Paints: ICI Dulux
Lighting: Artlite
Heating: Citi Cool Corporation, Daikin
Furniture: Lines – Furniture company
Ventilation: CATA Appliances Ltd., Citi Cool Corporation,
Daikin
Bath: Grohe, Gessi
Basin: Duravit, Villeroy & Boch
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Shower: Grohe, Gessi
Toilet: Duravit, Villeroy & Boch, Kohler
Bedroom suite: Lines – Furniture Company
Bed linen: Maspar
Cabinets: Lines – Furniture Company
Mirrors: Asahi
Other bedroom furniture & accessories: Apartment 9,
Siemens
Landscaping: Parul Mittal; DADA
Special features: Aura Waterworks
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Home & Design Trends Vol 2 No 7 2014