#aplusdhomes: This private villa in Gurugram by Amit Khanna Design Associates reimagines zoning regulations into a garden showcasing how restrictions can be positive too

Zoning regulations have determined the character of cities for centuries. Ever since the first fire in London, following which the mandates of setting buildings apart came into being (ostensibly to avoid fires spreading from thatched eaves), city planners have championed the use of offsets, or “setbacks”. Quite impossible to implement in densely populated urban centers where land is at a premium, these regulations have nonetheless pervaded the design of suburbia around the world. Gurugram, set southwest of Delhi, is no different.

Land parcels of 500 Sq.Mt. in Gurugram must follow a 4m setback to both the front and rear of buildings and they must further contend with a 7m x 3m linear open space eating into the building footprint that is mirrored to one side with adjacent plots. This has created a built form of narrow driveways with high party walls abutting three storey buildings, canyons of darkness from which most of the building must draw their light and ventilation.

These are often usurped by enclosed balcony spaces, covered driveways and every conceivable architectural trick to circumvent the necessity for open space. The diminutive brief was therefore a blessing in disguise. Tasked with building only 950 Sq.Mt. on a site that would normally have been built out to 1500 Sq.Mt. meant that the project could be designed free from the need to conform to the outer setback line mandated by city planners. To this end,
an internal brief was created – that 40% of the house must be a garden and 60% of the house must look into it. Hence the name, 40/60 House.

The strategy to meet this internal requirement was to consolidate all the open area requirements into a garden at the south and west of the plot. The built portion was then arranged as a “L” around the 200 Sq.Mt. garden, so that all but one of the 5 bedrooms look into the green area. The junction of the L was used to stack the kitchen and an internal
stair which draws its light from above, illuminated by a skylight. The open stair and skylight combine to flood the entrance of the house with natural light. The resultant garden is 40% of the plot area, an unheard of extravagance in the area, fast densifying into four storey apartment blocks.

The idea of shade is central to the planning of the building. Both the east and west facades have deep overhangs that consistently protect the living and sleeping areas from the fierce summer sun of North India. To the extreme west of the building, and right opposite the main gates, a brick wall dissipates into a dense screen that filters the harsh evening sun and softly illuminates the interior spaces.

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FACTFILE
Design Team: Ankita Misra, Krishna Yadav
Plot Size: 500Sq Mt
Constructed Area: 950Sq Mt
Contractor: Build Design Workshop Structural
Engineer: Spacelink Engineers
Air Conditioning: Hitachi
Windows: Schueco
Bathroom Fixtures: Kohler/Jaquar