twisted columns sustain this red brick family home by d6thD design studio

design studio d6thD has elevated the stone slab verandah of this house in navsari, india using columns of exposed twisted brick. the house was designed to accommodate three generations of the family — grandparents, a young couple and their child — together on ‘vashi farm’.

the clients wanted a home that would not only comfortably accommodate their entire family, but whose design and layout would speak to the rich culture and architectural tradition of the region. d6thD has arranged the program into a H-shaped plan, conceptualized around the idea of two distinct ‘green room’ spaces. an indoor courtyard and outdoor garden area reference traditional modes of living — blurring the line between interior and exterior to the point where one runs seamlessly into the other.

the property is designed with a series of variously proportioned sloping roofs, intended to help offset the heavy rainfall native to the region. a deeply covered balcony acts as a space of transition between the hot and humid exterior environment and the warm heart of the home. communal living spaces are arranged around the central courtyard, evoking a sense of community and family ancestry specific to the house.

the twisted brick columns greet visitors to home, and support a stone verandah which divides the house into separated public and private areas. the open plan living space accommodates a seating area, dining room and kitchen and visually increases the sense of space inside the home. old marble tiles with ceramic inlay are used to create vibrant geometrically patterned flooring. customized ‘sheesham’ wooden sofas follow an burnt orange palette, a hue that is complemented and expanded throughout the house’s decor.

‘the materials and techniques employed in this house are not only time tested and reliable but clearly reflect a cultural and climate sensitivity towards the area,’ explain d6thD. ‘the foundation is of random rubble stone masonry, and the 14” load bearing exposed brick walls in quetta bond act as thermal insulators.’ every bedroom opens out onto a private balcony offering views to either the garden or courtyard, and allowing residents to fully engage with the surrounding landscape.

the house itself integrates a number of different roofing techniques: the ground floor bedrooms have locally made clay pot filler in RCC slab. a low height rough kota stone roof with a steel girder tops the veradah and and high volume pitched roof with decorative clay ceiling tiles reference the ornamental traditions of the locality. the reuse of old wooden door windows and marble flooring is evident throughout the house, and has even influenced its core shape: many of the house’s circular surfaces are a result of reusing curved window frames.