A new Chandigarh home, Residence 91 by Charged Voids caters to three generations of a family and is a striking addition to the northern Indian city, famed for its modernist architecture.
Situated on a crossroads, the cubic design offers a private retreat away from the bustle of traffic and the rush of commuters. For Aman Aggarwal, principal architect of Charged Voids – whose Residence 145 we have also explored – the biggest challenge was creating a space that could function as a peaceful, meditative sanctuary in this busy location.
Residence 91 by Charged Void in Chandigarh, India
The design features layered cubic volumes and a patterned brick façade to help create an inward-looking oasis. The house includes seven bedrooms and serves as a multigenerational home for the residing family.
Each level is designed to be noise-reducing to overcome the busy location. On the ground floor, the common areas flow into a shared courtyard, where one might be lucky enough to spot native Indian grey hornbills, which are known to frequent local urban gardens. The shared living and dining areas are joined by a double-height kitchen, with an additional spice kitchen, and the grandparents’ bedroom.
The first floor includes another bedroom, kitchen and family lounge, while the second floor has three bedrooms, each with its individual outdoor recreational space. The building's layers are distinct, with warm lighting casting a familial warmth.
The architecture responds to the surrounding nature by incorporating sustainable features, and inviting greenery to create an indoor-outdoor environment. Residence 91 consists of composite RCC and locally available brick to help reduce the environmental impact of the building and support the local economy.
The exposed brickwork is carefully constructed in a rat-trap bond pattern to create cavity walls that provide insulation, while also reducing noise pollution. The deep verandas not only add to the beautiful aesthetic, but also help to lower the home’s cooling loads and reduce energy consumption.
Further details include an extended water feature, which adds to the peaceful acoustics, covered terraces, and gardens, all of which prioritise wellness and tranquillity.
-
Richard Prince recontextualises archival advertisements in TexasThe artist unites his ‘Posters’ – based on ads for everything from cat pictures to nudes – at Hetzler, Marfa
-
Pierre-Yves Rochon celebrates ‘the great tradition of Italian design’ in Four Seasons Hotel Milano refreshThe sophisticated hotel’s 118 rooms and suites have been redesigned by the acclaimed designer and long-time collaborator of the brand
-
How Bureau Betak transformed the runway showPioneering production company Bureau Betak has masterminded some of the most inspiring runway sets of the last 30 years, dazzling both real-life guests and an ever-growing virtual global audience. Hugo Macdonald meets the people behind the magic
-
We spent the night at Indian modernists the Kanade brothers' home in NagajIndian modernists the Kanade brothers' home in Nagaj exemplifies their approach to architecture; architect and writer Nipun Prabhakar spends the night and tells the story
-
Malabar Hill’s elevated micro-forest trail brings nature to Mumbai’s urban experienceAn elevated trail in the Malabar Hill neighbourhood is where nature meets design in the ‘urban jungle’ of Mumbai
-
A street-like Pune clubhouse celebrates the ‘joy of shared, unhurried experiences’A brick clubhouse in Pune by Studio VDGA reflects the fluidity and openness of the Indian way of life with a series of welcoming plazas, courtyards and lanes
-
Behind a carefully composed geometric brick façade, a New Delhi residence rises highAKDA’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 treeIn 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 secretPierre 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 shellThis 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 landscapeA New Delhi house, Architecture Discipline’s Lighthouse, arranges a generous family residence and pool house around an expansive garden
