When architect Sanjay Puri was approached by a family with a request to build a sustainable home, the unforgiving weather in Bhilwara posed a challenge.
This is because temperatures in the region soar as high as 40 degrees Celsius.
But ‘Mirai’, a sustainable abode, stands as an outlier that keeps interiors cool even in Rajasthan’s sweltering heat.
The palatial home covers an area of 9,900 sq ft and is a “contextual house in response to the hot desert climate of Rajasthan, India”.
Explaining the layout, Sanjay says it is interesting to note how the space has been designed with spatial planning kept at the fore.
“Based on the location, the southern and eastern sides have minimum open space with adjacent villas on those sides to be built in the future,” notes Sanjay
In contrast, the northern and western sides have more open spaces with garden areas and existing trees.
This layout keeps the home cool in hot summers.
The heights of various rooms also vary, which gives way for the effect of an arch.
“There is an interesting play of volumes, bedrooms of a single volume, dining area of a double volume, and a living area of an intermediate 1.5 level volume,” Sanjay elaborates.
The play of spaces extends outside the home too, where a curvilinear punctuated envelope (a curved boundary wall made out of terracotta) surrounds the house.
“This punctuated envelope creates interstitial semi-open spaces all along the perimeter of the home, reducing heat gain while providing sheltered open spaces around the house.”
Residents of ‘Mirai’ also stay protected from the region’s climate due to the terracotta envelope (boundary) of the house.
“This envelope keeps the entire house cool in the hot summer months with temperatures in excess of 40 degrees Celsius for eight months of the year,” he confirms.
Meanwhile, the upper floors of the home are designed in a way that creates balconies sheltered by canopies.