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Design And Development Atelier (DADA) The Three Tree House: Sawhney House (New Delhi)
Located in Delhi, the Three Tree House is nestled-much like a fork- between three large existing trees. The reason behind building the house amidst the trees was to preserve the existing trees and enjoy the natural setting in close proximity of the habitable areas. The house is built for a respectable developer’s family and as part of the brief has large areas of formal and informal entertainment areas. By creating an unbroken visual thread through the entire project, the project achieves continuity between the interiors and the landscapes, inviting residents to explore and enjoy the entire site.
Bottom Right: Court view
FIRM NAME Design And Development Atelier (DADA) PRINCIPAL ARCHITECTS Mukul Arora Parul Mittal Aditi Arora Sumit Arora EDUCATION/AFFILIATION B.Arch SPA Delhi, Master in Urban Design, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor BUILT UP AREA 17000 sq.ft. AWARDS First place in SPA, New Delhi, new campus urban design competition CONTACT B-99, Sushant Lok I Gurgaon 122002 INDIA T +91 0124 404 0076 M +91 9953052427 W www.dadapartners.com
PRODUCTS/VENDORS Home Accessories: IDUS Furniture Store, Delhi Indoor/Outdoor Furniture: IDUS Furniture Store, Delhi Lighting and Artwork: IDUS Furniture Store, Delhi Flooring: Amit Marbles Carpets: Hands Carpets, Delhi CP Fittings / Sanitaryware: FCML, Delhi Air Conditioning: Aditya Aircon Lighting: Mr. Light CONSULTANTS/CONTRACTORS Structural: P. Arora & Associates Civil: Bharat Sawhney Landscape: Design Process HVAC: Aditya Aircon PMC: DADA Partners
transparency The front block facing towards the east houses all the formal entertainment rooms such as the entry lobby, drawing room, dining, and bar all of which front and open towards the large front lawn as well as the relatively intimate courtyard. The rear block, on the ground floor, a large double height family living room opens out to the pool deck and the cozy courtyard and two bedrooms also face the rear lawn. The upper level has puja room, four bedrooms, and a lounge area for the family gatherings. Across the swimming pool and northern face of the property, the gym and sauna pavilion are located, this simply squares-off the sense of enclosure around the courtyard. A large and lofty formal drawing room opens out to the front garden. This has been designed as a three side open, 20 feet tall, lantern like space framing views to the charming front lawn on the east and the eventful pool-side on the west side.
Top Left: Family living room with views to the swimming pool and the reflective pool to the east Top Centre: The contrasting material palette for the building Top Right: The swimming pool capturing multiple reflections of the building Bottom Left: Lantern like formal drawing room frames views to the picturesque pool-side
“One of the consistent themes and often the generator of our design are seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor spaces.�
Top Left: Quiet restraint in the interiors of the formal drawing room and bar area Top Centre: The ethereal canopy of the flowering Bauhinia Top Right: The master bath with its light-well brings the outdoors indoors Bottom Left: A monolithic wood-clad stair becomes the sculptural centerpiece Bottom Right: Family living room with its corner glazing enjoys views to the court
openness with variety
Top Left: The courtyard connect the public and private entertainment blocks Top Right: Family living room is a generous space opening outwards on three sides
The shaded north facing courtyard appears engaging and lively with different rooms fronting onto it along with the large canopies that constantly allows for an interplay of light and shade. This space brings an enhanced sense of openness inside and also views to the ever changing outdoors, as well as the building, as one moves around the house and vertically between different levels of the house.
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
GROUND FLOOR PLAN
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
1. DRAWING ROOM
13. GYMNASIUM
1. DRAWING ROOM
13. UPPER LOUNGE
2. PASSAGE
14. STEAM AND SAUNA
2. BATHROOM
14. DOUBLE HEIGHT SPACE
3. BAR
15. FRONT LAWN
3. BEDROOM
15. STUDY
4. DINING ROOM
16. DROP-OFF
4. BALCONY
5. ENTRY LOBBY
17. PORCH
5. TERRACE
6. POWDER ROOM
18. DECK
6. LIGHT WELL
7. KITCHEN
19. KITCHEN GARDEN
7. LIGHT SHAFT
8. UTILITY
20. GRAVEL COURT
8. LOBBY
9. BATHROOM
21. COURTYARD
9. PUJA ROOM
10. BEDROOM
22. POOL SIDE DECK
10. PASSAGE
11. LIGHT WELL
23. SWIMMING POOL
11. PANTRY
12. LIVING ROOM
24. REAR LAWN
12. POWDER ROOM
the challenges One of the challenges faced in this project was the lack of quality workmanship and outdated construction methodologies which didn’t allow the precision of the civil work. The limited specialized materials and hardware also were the hurdles to overcome. “It was an uphill task for us, to get a cost effective design solution for the 24 feet tall corner-free glazing of the double height pool facing living room. We literally had to build on-site mock-ups to convince the client and contractors on the feasibility of the threshold design” - Mukul Arora.
the inspiration While conceptualising The Three Tree House, elements such as sun, wind and rain influenced the architects to shape and emerge a striking balance between the site context, spatial layout, and volumetric composition.
Drop-in washbasins installed into countertops or vanity units allow for ample counter storage space.
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS Ranjan Sharma, Lightzone India TEXT CREDITS Mukul Arora
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