WWOONNDDEERR WWAALLLL When the Shahs approached Patil to construct a housenext to the existing plot where they were already resid-

ing, all they asked for was a 'cosy house' incorporating amaster bedroom and a small bedroom.

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An architect is known to perceive and transmit a client'svision onto paper and on the site; but for Solapur basedYatin Shah, their architect Sunil B Patil offered them an alto-gether different and unique concept for their home design,leading to a svelte bungalow that won the IIID MK-2008,National Award for the category of INTERIORS + ARCHITEC-TURAL INTERIORS. This 20 months old bungalow is not only alifestyle statement for the Shahs, nor is its inviting warmth itsonly highlight; more alluring is it's concept which brings thepassion of the owners to the foreground making this house arare novelty indeed.

Architect Sunil Patil started his architectural firm Sunil Patil &Associates in Kolhapur in 1994 and has a branch office in Pune.The firm has done a large range of projects ranging fromResidential & Commercial Complexes, Industrial buildings toInstitutional blocks, Residential and Corporate Interiors.

When the Shahs approached Patil to construct a house nextto the existing plot where they were already residing, all theyasked for was a 'cosy house' incorporating a master bed-room and a small bedroom. A chance lunch with them andPatil found a lot of canvas paintings lying around at theirplace. Says Patil, "It was surprising to know that the Shahswho are industrialists were such good artistes too. I thoughtof giving them a studio but the area of 210sqm on the571sqm plot was the constraint".

Thus was formed the concept of the art wall which success-fully portrays the element of wall as quite a fascinating designelement indeed. The imposing art wall which forms the corefeature of the exterior and interiors literally divides the houseinto two zones. The rough grey textured tandoor stone wall(Patil admits that it's even cheaper than Kota stone) was con-ceived to showcase the paintings done by the Shahs.

Running along the middle of the site from the front com-pound wall to the back compound wall this wall demarcatesthe private areas (studio cum guest bedroom, kitchen, andmaster bedroom) from the common areas (living, dining,kitchen). The 15' high wall became such a focal point in thehouse that the clients felt that only small paintings should suf-fice on the wall to retain its focus.

Walkouts have been added around the house by incorporat-ing the setbacks in the design which Patil admits was a majordesign constraint. By doing so, continuity between the houseand the landscape is maintained, which is essentially funda-mental to the philosophy that Patil follows in all his designs. "Forme in general, spaces have to be in harmony with nature",explains the designer. He continues, "You will find a lot of court-yards, voids, punctures in all my designs. I like to use the sun asan element to play different roles throughout the day". An

exemplary example of this aspect would be the use of the skylight along the entire length of the interior art wall.

A tree categorically/figuratively divides the 12' high living fromthe dining. Lit by a skylight above, the platform at the baseforms an informal seating for the bar and the dining. "This hasbeen inspired by the tradition 'PAR' - a traditional platform -'katta', under a banyan tree", informs Patil. The flooring in whitevitrified crystal panels retains the tenderness of the area. Theabsence of doors throughout keeps the seamless spaces flow-ing into each other and with French windows one can feel thenature sitting right inside. The dining distinguished by laminateflooring flows into the open planned kitchen. The French win-dow fronting the dining table opens on to a water body, witha wall in the background with niches lit by LED lights.

Patil has dexterously used an ornate amount of white to put

Text: Apurva Bose DuttaPictures: Sunil Patil & Associates

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the spotlight on the art wall. The architecture, interiors andlandscape blend together without any of these taking awaythe limelight from each other. From the flowing exteriors intointeriors what is also commendable are the little details thatPatil has adhered to. Materials have been employed with aspecific intent - the case of the fridge in the kitchen done inplywood strips finished with paint is in sync with the effect cre-ated through the horizontal and vertical effects rampant in theentire house. Patil has made a conscious effort to veer awayfrom natural wood and veneers concentrating more on ecofriendly materials. The chimney in the kitchen interpreted as adesign element and the dado made with glass and green lam-inate with steel plates embedded are the high points of the

design of the kitchen. Through the various openings in the art wall the two zones of thehouse form an excellent rendezvous. In the private zone, theguest bedroom doubles up as the studio for the Shahs with thebed being perfectly folded up during 'painting' time. Patil keepsthe tone subtle with a hint of blue and yellow in between. In themaster bedroom the mauve background and the corrugatedheadboard in plywood strips finished with paint form the focuswith frosted glass surfaces appearing in the form of two cut-outs. The glass forces a cut out in the POP false ceiling to lightup the room. Use of silver brushed laminate and wenge in thecabinet and overhead shelf respectively, besides the laminated flooring add character to the space. The master

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bathroom awash with natural light from the overhead skylightrevels in white. It's a revelation how the 'pristine and spotlesswhite' has been used to its full potential in the project.

The use of natural resources has been highlighted and evenin the contemporary design a feeling of warmth is obtainedand there is nothing that is stark or cold. Patil doesn't likesuperfluous and artificial things which are conspicuous in theabsence of loud accoutrements; within minimalist lines thestrength of the space and the ingenious use of materials iswhat define his architecture.

The arresting art wall extends as the exterior wall amongst theother plastered walls in white. Whereas the puncture in thewall here provides a tête-à-tête between both the zones thesteel pergolas enhance the design further besides creatingmystique shadows on the wall. The upper half of the frontcompound wall has been treated with polycarbonate sheetsfixed on steel frames. The water bodies near the dining andthe guest bedroom make for a perfect evening décor. Theuse of artificial lighting in the water bodies lit with LED lightingfurther raises a toast to the engaging design. Mood lighting isenhanced by the bar counter in frosted glass and dining

table in glass and solid surfaces. The furniture in the roomsadds up to the spaces created by the designer. Except forthe living room sofas, all the furniture has been customdesigned on the site by Patil himself.

“Any drawbacks?” I question the architect. To which Patilproudly says, "My client gave me 100% liberty and it makes mehappy to think that whatever we thought initially was imple-mented. The only discrepancy was the material of the art wallwhich I had wanted to do in exposed concrete; but due to thelimitation of locally available workmanship, I assumed the workquality achieved wouldn't have been good. But all said anddone, I am quite satisfied with the present wall now".

Architect Apurva Bose Dutta is a correspon-dent of ARCHITECTURE + INTERIORS (A+i) &ARCHI TIMES from India. She is an architecturaljournalist and writes for various architectural/ interior journals and websites. She has beenin the core team of India's leading architecturalpublications namely 'Architecture + Design'and 'Indian, Architect and Builder'.