Banjaiga Architectural Magazine

The inspiration for this internationally acclaimed and award winning (AD50 award) house was found in the old walled city of Lahore, where it looked as though a slice of history had been preserved for posterity.

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently living through a pivotal moment in contemporary history. Everyday life has come to a screeching halt, with the virus forcing people to maintain social distancing, abandon public places, and work from home. Because of these containment measures, we are seeing a drastic change in how our built environment is being used, and we must wonder: Can architecture play a role in the spread or containment of an infectious disease?

The 120-yard house is built up in 2 stages, on a plot of 24 feet by 45 feet. Phase One gives the occupant approx. 1240 square feet, comprising of a large multipurpose public space with attached powder room and small courtyard, and a living / dining space with open kitchen on the ground floor; and one bedroom with attached bath on the first floor. The multi-purpose room on the ground floor can also function as a full-fledged bedroom, because of the attached powder room.

As the name suggests we were exploring volumes and how they would come together and make something dynamic not only in interior space but also visually engaging

The Project distinctive design honors British Colonial Architecture with a series of intricate elements incorporated with Modern design. GAB as a team focused to bring back the delicacy of “ancient rhythm and Neo-classicism of traditional facades and nestle them in to a contemporary context.

The elaborated detailed at the building crown with a balance created with round-arches and straight windows formed a perfect amalgamation of classical and modern styles.

The concept of the house is developed on simple grounds. The client wanted his house to be modern and have earthy tones, need for natural light and cleaner views.

The challenging thing while designing this house was that three elevations were dead ones, resulting in zero lightning and ventilation. To minimize this, the design was integrated with open spaces to give an open feeling to the inhabitants, providing them with natural light and ventilation

The key feature element designed in the residence is the arch that accentuates the façade by balancing the stair tower’s verticality. The façade is treated with horizontal grooves and texture that gives depth to surface allowing for an accentuate light and shadow play as shown in the photograph.