The west-facing facade as seen from the driveway
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The main entrance steps and archway
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Jharokha detail showing the rajula stone brackets, columns and crossbeams. The railing has been carved from a single piece of karoli stone
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Niches as wall embellishment in the entrance foyer
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Staircase with arches defining the side and the space under it
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Stone jaali work
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Load-bearing arches using cut stone slabs, all made by local masons
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Beaten iron grill with tribal motifs of Bastar
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Carved stone railing in a balcony overlooking the sand dunes
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A ‘gokhla’ (niche) in exposed stone to relieve the starkness of a plastered wall corner
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Bedroom on the ground floor. The arch above the window is wood and shell in-fill
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The family space with a baby grand piano and the balcony overlooking the sand dunes
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The central courtyard with a sit-out, a covered pavilion, beyond which lies a tulsi vrindavan
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Another bedroom with cane furniture
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The courtyard pavilion seen from the bedroom window
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The path to the sand dunes from the east-facing entrance of the house
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Local Flavour
May 2007
Text: Chirashree and Rahul Thakkar
Photographs: courtesy the architects
Chirashree and Rahul Thakkar employ local materials and artisans to build the Sheths an eco-friendly home in the sands of Gujarat.
WHEN KIRAN SHETH DECIDED HE had worked long enough and was ready to retire, the Sheths bought this property, inclusive of two barren sand dunes and some unkempt fields. A mere 15-minute walk through the woods to the beach, in mainland Saurashtra, their choice of plot was commendable. About two km from the Union Territory of Diu, ten km from the airport and placed bang on a state highway, it meant easy access for visiting friends and family. They had, however, not bargained for some unexpected, occasional visitors who neither cared much for these facilities nor respected their property rights — the lions and leopards who strayed here from across the southern edge of the Gir forest.
The Sheths wanted an environment-friendly and ‘easy-to-maintain’ home with extensive greenery on the open land. The requirements were the usual — kitchen, dining, drawing rooms — and four good-sized bedrooms. Then there was the request for a foyer with seating space to entertain villagers who dropped by for a visit; an office in the front where Kiran could do his paperwork and a family area for Kamini, his wife’s, large collection of books and their baby grand piano. There had to be plenty of natural light, large windows and enough ventilation to obviate the need for air-conditioning. The house was to have a distinct local flavour.
A few sketches and many discussions later, numerous things were agreed on. Locally available material and artisans were to be used to the extent possible. After sufficient quantities of tea had made the rounds, the artisans freely shared their knowledge of the materials. A variety of local stones were used in different forms as basic construction material, depending on the character of the stone and the wind direction. This resulted in a play of materials using the local building techniques. Soft sandstone quarried and sawn to shape in local quarries was used for the arches and the harder variety available as rubble, was used in the courtyard wall and other areas of this sea-facing home. Sandstone slabs were placed over locally made pre-cast, pre-stressed concrete beams to form the roofing. This reduced the use of normal RCC by about 65 per cent. The architects also experimented with the use of rajula stone, an extremely hard basaltic stone found in the region on the sea-facing side of the house. The finishing material had to be hauled from a distance. With the marble from Rajasthan, came the karoli stone for the railings and parapet.
The jharokhas in all the rooms double-up as reading and lounging corners. The house was designed keeping the interior layout in mind. Each bedroom has a different theme. The shell furniture in the ground floor bedroom gives it a Portuguese ambience, while another bedroom room has a recycled sari to preserve the memories of an ancestor. There is a room on the first floor with cane furnishings and jaisalmer stone, and another with blue pottery and a Moroccan theme. This varied decor does not clash, as the bedrooms are neatly tucked away from the central space. The common spaces like the courtyard on the ground floor and the study room/ library on the first floor are designed in a similar vein.
The central courtyard that makes air movement easier and a solar heater, are proof of this home’s eco-friendly inclinations. Guests are surprised by the absence of an AC, but later understand that artificial cooling is not a ‘must’ for comfortable living. The same is true with lighting. The house is flooded with natural light without the heat. Wild creepers, grass and shrubbery were allowed to grow unhindered on the sand dunes, so that they could anchor the loose sand. The idea worked, and after the end of the first monsoon, the sandy slopes had stabilized and the sand had stopped blowing away.
Ornamentation is a part of the Saurashtra lifestyle. Plain clothes are a rarity in this land of embroidered elegance. Therefore ornamental details were made a part of the design. The inner and outer spaces were merged into a large extended living space. A stark simple exterior and an ornate interior was an experiment which going by the clients’ satisfaction, has turned out pretty well.
Concept & Materials (Local Flavour)
Concept
A simple, environment-friendly abode
with perfect synthesis of vernacular culture and modern lifestyle.
Materials
Walls: Rubble, slabs and sawn sandstone from Junagadh and Porbunder.
Burnt bricks and basaltic stone from Rajula.
Roof: RCC, pre-stressed, pre-cast concrete beams with sandstone slabs
as cover, waterproofing and vermiculite screed on top for insulation.
Construction techniques: Load-bearing arches and vaults using sandstone and composite walls
Flooring: Makrana and Italian marble
Tiles: Royal Tiles, Morbi
Blue pottery tiles: Neerja Pottery, Jaipur
Antique furniture: Client’s own
Shell furniture: Chirashree Thakkar
Woven designs: Rajen Choudhary
Glasswork: Asha Mandapa
Iron grills: Osuram and Ratilal
Cane furniture: Dynamic Arts and Crafts
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Light filtering into the drawing room through the carved jaali in jaisalmer stone
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