Contemporary Chandigarh house balances minimalism and warmth
Residence 145 by Charged Voids is a new contemporary Chandigarh house

Javier Callejas Sevilla - Photography
The north Indian city of Chandigarh is perhaps best known for its abudnance in iconic modernist architecture, by Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Jane Drew and Edward Maxwell Fry. Of course, contemporary Indian architecture thrives there too. Residence 145 by design studio Charged Voids is a case in point. This is a Chandigarh house designed to juggle openness and privacy, warmth and minimalist architecture, as well as ensuring it provides ample space to house three generations of the owners' family.
The architecture team worked with a composition of opaque surfaces and voids to find the right balance between creating a flowing, modern home that features plenty of natural light and views, and maintaining the residents' privacy. Given the project's multi-generational aspect, Charged Voids crafted a plan that ticks all boxes. ‘The layout of the house is centred on the idea of connected living. A strong connection with the outdoors is established through internal courtyards, with the interior spaces framing sunny views of the landscape,' the designers explain.
The Chandigarh house's distinctive, and unmistakably contemporary facade is made of monolithic volumes in natural stone and white plaster. Behind these, the home is cleverly divided into distinct public and private zones, while a central open air courtyard unites everything. An open-plan, double-height living-and-dining hall is central to the former, wrapped around the central courtyard. A staircase leads to bedrooms and a kitchen on the first floor, and further accomodation as well as a roof terrace and bar for al fresco entertaining at the top level.
The interiors are kept clean and minimalist, drawing on the region's light and the quality of the natural materials used. ‘The material palette is reserved to the bare minimum, with the same stone that is used for exterior finishes extending to the interior walls and flooring. The beige and white tones are accompanied by the warm colours of the millwork and furniture,' the team says.
INFORMATION
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).
-
The world’s best swimwear brands, according to Wallpaper*
From architectural precision to a sense of ease and luxury, our comprehensive guide to the world’s best swimwear brands – for both men and women – will help you find the perfect beach attire this summer
-
Aesop’s Queer Library bookmarks brilliant literature, no purchase required
Returning to London’s Soho, 3-6 July 2025, the Queer Library pop-up offers complimentary books by LGBTQIA+ authors and allies
-
Wangechi Mutu's powerful sculptures take over the palatial interiors of Rome's Galleria Borghese
The Kenyan-born artist is the first living woman to have a solo exhibition at the villa
-
A guide to modernism’s most influential architects
From Bauhaus and brutalism to California and midcentury, these are the architects who shaped modernist architecture in the 20th century
-
Behind a carefully composed geometric brick façade, a New Delhi residence rises high
AKDA’s design for this New Delhi residence explores new geometries and high densities
-
This Hyderabad live/work space is rooted in its leafy context, centred around an old neem tree
In Hyderabad, India, Soil & Soul Studio by Iki Builds is a blueprint for a conscious way of building, working and living
-
A night at Pierre Jeanneret’s house, Chandigarh’s best-kept secret
Pierre Jeanneret’s house in Chandigarh is a modernist monument, an important museum of architectural history, and a gem hidden in plain sight; architect, photographer and writer Nipun Prabhakar spent the night and reported back
-
This Ahmedabad house is enclosed within a curved concrete shell
This Ahmedabad house by Achyutam Designs is a homage to concrete and a celebration of the curve, a family house designed to flow into its surroundings
-
In New Delhi, a home designed to embrace light and landscape
A New Delhi house, Architecture Discipline’s Lighthouse, arranges a generous family residence and pool house around an expansive garden
-
Shalini Misra’s Delhi home is a seasonal sanctuary ‘made in India’
Interior designer Shalini Misra’s retreat in the Indian capital champions modernist influences, Islamic ancestry and local craftsmanship
-
A triplex Mumbai penthouse contains sculptural staircases and expansive terraces
Enso House is a multigenerational Mumbai penthouse by S+PS Architects that combines a reorganised interior programme with bespoke finishes and crafts