Rajiv Saini's Uttar Pradesh house celebrates family life
Rajiv Saini's Uttar Pradesh house in the village of Dhampur balances local bricks, nature and an industrial context to create a warm family home in India
In almost any business, a returning customer is a sign of things going well; so when one of Indian interior architect and designer Raijv Saini's clients came back not for a second, or even a third, but for a fourth commission, it really leaves no doubt as to the success of his designs. This house in the small town of Dhampur, in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, is indeed the latest in a series of projects for the same family – following their primary residence in Delhi about a decade ago, and holiday homes in Goa, and the hills of Dehradun. The new property, like the others, is an entirely bespoke creation, designed to fit the circumstances and way of life of the clients – a pair of empty nesters who want to spend as much time as they can near their sugar factory.
‘The brief for the house was clear from the start – it ought to look like it belonged to the place on the factory premises, one among the many homes of the managers and workers employed at the factory,' says Mumbai-based Saini. The site is within the factory's campus, where one of the clients has been running a school for the last 15 years for the workers' children. One of the reasons behind this project was for the clients to be locally based so they can be able to be more engaged with social work and the community there.
Working with brick blocks, the dominant method of construction locally, Saini and his team created a low, five-bedroom home, which was built by labourers from the local village, in bricks made at the local kiln. Concrete complements the construction where needed, while inside there is a pale grey, fine terrazzo floor, walls in grey stucco, and ceiling in timber. All bathrooms have Carrara marble cladding, and timber floors and furniture – making for a rich and tactile constellation of surfaces that also has a toughness to it, so that it feels at home in its setting, which blends nature and an industrial character.
A large family room, with high ceilings that reach an impressive 7m tall, spills out onto a verranda and is at the heart of the home. Cleverly placed windows – including floor-to-ceiling and clerestory windows, as well as punctured openings – bring light into the other rooms and the corridor that forms the main circulation axis.
‘It’s a house the couple want to grow old in, with frequent visits from their daughters, who are currently spread across three continents,' says Saini. ‘As they settle into their new home, we’re already talking about yet another holiday home for the family, located somewhere in the Himalayan peaks!'
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
Explore Cornwall's cosiest coffee shops
Cornwall is known for its natural beauty and stunning landscape, here is our pick of coffee shops to enjoy the views and refuel
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Maude’s Brâncuși-inspired sex toys go on display in a new Paris exhibition
Maude’s design-led vibrators are now on display at Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, as part of ‘Private Lives: From the Bedroom to Social Media’. Brand founder Éva Goicochea talks to Wallpaper* about partnering with the museum and opening up cultural conversations around sex
By India Birgitta Jarvis Published
-
‘I was captivated by the idea of merging two iconic brands’: Nigo on his 1990s-inspired collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz
Unveiled at Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ event in Shanghai this past weekend, Japanese fashion designer Nigo unpacks his three-way collaboration with Moncler and Mercedes-Benz, which includes a play on the G-Class alongside a fashion collection in his eclectic style
By Jack Moss Published
-
Remembering Christopher Charles Benninger (1942-2024)
Architect Christopher Charles Benninger has died in Pune, India, at the age of 82; we honour and reflect on his passing
By Aastha D Published
-
A new exhibition marks Chandigarh’s modernist legacy
‘Celebrating the Capitol’, an exhibition of photographic work by architect Noor Dasmesh Singh, opens just in time for the famed modernist Indian city’s anniversary
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: meet the practices
In the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024, our latest guide to exciting, emerging practices from around the world, 20 young studios show off their projects and passion
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Playball Studio's architecture balances the organic and the technical
Playball Studio, a young Indo-Spanish design practice, features in the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024
By Pallavi Mehra Published
-
Peek behind the foliage at The Plumeria, a south Indian home by the water
The Plumeria by Silpi Architects is an India home in Kerala, the country's south, blending geometric forms and the region's tropical foliage and waters
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Step inside Le Harlequin, an imaginative redesign of a Mumbai apartment
Le Harlequin by Design Hex is an imaginative redesign of a Mumbai apartment in the bustling Indian city's Lower Parel neighbourhood
By Daven Wu Published
-
Remembering Alexandros Tombazis (1939-2024), and the Metabolist architecture of this 1970s eco-pioneer
Back in September 2010 (W*138), we explored the legacy and history of Greek architect Alexandros Tombazis, who this month celebrates his 80th birthday.
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
A Hyderabad apartment blends soft minimalism and ‘tangible luxury’
A Hyderabad apartment by Studio Design Inc wows with its balanced design that brings together soft minimalism and tangible luxury
By Daven Wu Published