86 Shalin Residency

86 Shalin Residency, situated in a suburban gated community outside the 76 km long ring road in Ahmedabad, India, serves as a home for a family. Spanning a built-up area of 510 sqm, the residence comprises formal and informal living rooms along with five bedrooms. The site is oriented in an east-west direction, bordered by a neighbouring house to the south and open ground to the north. The house's footprint maintains a distance of 3 meters from the southern boundary, meeting the minimum required setback. This design choice allows for a more expansive space on the northern side, accommodating both the entrance and a linear hardscape garden that extends towards the eastern open landscape. Despite the limited depth of the land in the north-south direction, preserving an open space to the north facilitates the penetration of natural light into the house and fosters the creation of a shaded garden. The architectural design of the house is characterised by its layered approach, progressing from north to south and from public to private spaces. The linear hardscape not only serves as a public access point but also functions as a green buffer between the open ground to the north and the residence. Along this hardscape, a formal drawing room greets guests near the entrance, while the living and dining rooms open out to the east-facing garden. Above these spaces, a stepped terrace garden is nestled between the open ground and the glazed façade of the first floor. Corridors and galleries intricately connect these public areas with the utility spaces and private bedrooms. The southern portion of the house is dedicated to utility functions, service circulation, and staff quarters, which are permissible within the setback according to local regulations. Incorporating a terrace garden on a sloping slab presents challenges and functional opportunities. The sloping design towards the centre, aligned with the staircase location, enhances natural light penetration to the ground floor and offers outward views while ascending the stairs. Despite its elevated position, because of the orientation of the slope, the terrace garden provides an intimate and enclosed atmosphere, especially when seated at the edge of the planters. The use of diamond-shaped planters and zig-zag pathways creates lower steps for ease of walking and limits access to the terrace edge for safety. Furthermore, the terrace garden's location to the north of the first floor ensures shading, with the plants and soil serving as insulation for the drawing room and living room below. 86 Shalin Residency, an achievement of meticulous planning and design ingenuity, is not just a house but a sustainable living space. The single concept of the stepped terrace garden not only defines the house's distinctive image but also serves as an element in demonstrating and integrating functional and sustainable design features.