project # 16

TITLE : A RESIDENTIAL STUDIO
LOCATION : RAJKOT
ARCHITECT : BPS ARCHITECTS, RAJKOT

BPS Architects was established in the year 1999 by architects Parth Shah and Brinda Shah. The office is currently operational in Rajkot and engaged in a variety of architectural and design projects. The building portrayed in this post is their residential studio at Rajkot. The site is an almost square shaped plot with access from the east side. The building occupies southern edge of the plot, leaving the northern side available for plantation and landscaping. The building has a long bar-shape organization that maximizes the utilization of glare-free north light. The program of the residential studio consists of architectural studios, a library cum meeting room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and related services. An exhibition space has been planned as a separate structure in the next phase of development.

ground floor plan......................................................................sections...............................


view from entrance...............................................................northern edge...........................



verandah......................................................................................umro court.........................


northlight..................................................................studio-1 north wall.................................

The entire program has been divided into two parts that are separated with the help of an enclosed court and a verandah. This verandah also acts as an arrival space and becomes an anchoring space in the layout. With the help of steps and built-in seats this space forms an interesting edge next to the green area. Most of the existing trees have been retained and incorporated in the layout by giving them courts as per their respective sizes and location in the plan. The cross-section of the building has been worked out to allow penetration of north light and to generate a natural flow of air into the studio spaces. In contrast to the northern edge that is more pores, the southern edge has been given more thickness to allow as much storage for the work spaces and also to cut down heat from the southern side.

project # 15

TITLE: SHANUBHAI HOUSE
LOCATION: AHMEDABAD
ARCHITECT: AYAZ PATHAN

This week’s post features a residence done by Ahmedabad based architect Ayaz Pathan: Shanubhai House. The site for Shanubhai house comprises of a 205 sq yard plot with one of the long sides as shared wall. The house forms part of a larger scheme developed by a private developer at the outskirts of Ahmedabad. The developer had already built the ground floor of the house at the time of architect’s intervention, as per the total scheme. The layout done by the developer had problems in terms of space utilization, light and ventilation, treatment of staircase, and construction quality. Thus the entire exercise, in this case, was to modify the existing structure, do necessary changes, and make an inhabitable house out of it. Reworking of staircase, services, and addition of a completely new first floor were the challenges posed by the new program of the house.


existing plan..............................modified ground floor plan...................

first floor plan...........................terrace plan...........................................


north elevation.....................................east elevation.............................


north-east view..............................................entrance..........................

..........................................................................................................

verandah...........................................family room.................................

................................................balcony...............................................

The ground floor of the house consists of a drawing, dining, kitchen, a bedroom, and services. In a typical commercial development and tight plot, such as the one at Shanubhai house, utilization of the margin areas and their relationships with the interior spaces becomes an issue of primary concern in the design. An attempt has been made in this direction at Shanubhai house by opening the dining area into a semi-open area, which forms part of the margin areas and also serves as secondary entrance for the house. First floor of the house forms a more private domain, where bedrooms, balconies, services, and a family room form a tight assembly of rooms in plan. The material palette of the house comprises of plastered and painted walls, re-used wood for doors-windows, and white marble for flooring.