This Ahmedabad house blends geometric concrete and verdant trees

The design of this Ahmedabad house was led not only by the brief and lifestyle of its human inhabitants, but by its site's flora too. Trees Sliced Through by Matharoo Associates in the Gujarati city – India's fifth largest – is a case study in working with the existing nature on site, while tackling contemporary forms and modern materials, such as concrete. The result? A home led by its context, which at the same time celebrates a brutalist architecture approach, as well as responds perfectly to the needs of its clients – a young couple expecting children, alongside their parents, and dogs. 

A tree-filled Ahmedabad house by Matharoo Associates

The project's site was dotted by mature, existing trees – a rare sight in dry and sandy Ahmedabad where, unfortunately, common practice often dictates plots are cleared of trees and vegetation before an architect is approached, the studio explains. At the same time, with a hot arid climate where temperatures can reach up to 48°C, foliage and nature become key in maintaining comfortable living conditions. Matharoo Associates, a studio behind many striking 21st-century homes, including multi-generational structures in Surat and its home town of Ahmedabad, decided early on in the process to make the green context central to its design development. 

'The first decision was to protect the trees with brickwork all around and to tie them to each other lest they lean or fall during excavation. A 10ft-diameter circle was drawn around each tree as the minimum distance for construction around them,' write the architects, led by principal Gurjit Singh Matharoo. 'The second decision was to go for pile foundations so the amount of soil movement was minimal, and to allow roots to grow and be nourished underneath. The third decision was to keep all spaces completely open on two sides, so the trees would seamlessly be a part of the inside space. Taking cues from the timeless Sarabhai house by Le Corbusier, the rooms are all aligned to the north and south to get long views of the site and common landscaped plot beyond, and the 23 trees dictate the arrangement of the composition.'

The residence is largely made in a fine-cut seamless rough-wood shuttering (now registered as an intellectual property of the particular architects). It 'complements the trees', they say, while cool dark Kudapah sand stone flooring anchors the whole to the ground. Moving elements, such as doors and window openings, stand out in terracotta shades. 

'The organic position of the trees is also translated in the articulation of the house. There is a diagonal disposition of spaces that preserves the feel and primordial habit of transgressing under the trees. While the long parallel walls shut off the views from the road and neighbouring plots, they connect to the trees on either side. This flora encloses, shades, shields and becomes an integral part of the life of the family. It is envisaged these trees will become a part of it, growing, living and flourishing with the members of the family,' the architects conclude. 

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