Client: Shailesh Mehta
Location: Koregaon Park, Pune
Built-Up Area: 10,000 sq.ft.
Status: Completed In 2000
Design Team: Kamal Malik, Vidya Kini, Sanjay Tatkare, Vijay Kolekar
Photography: Bharath Ramamrutham
Consultants
Structure: Sterling Engineering
Plumbing: Suhas Gangan
Electrical: Vikas Joshi
HVAC: J. G. Gharat
Landscape Consultant: Shobha Bhopatkar
About Studio
Malik Architecture is an award-winning Mumbai-based multidisciplinary design practice with over 47 years of experience. Their practice has from its inception attempted to develop a contemporary design syntax for the Indian subcontinent, by approaching architecture as a synthesis of “ecology” and “spirit”.
Ecology implies a seamless, cohesive and holistic approach to design. This is achieved through the assembly of a group of highly motivated and evolved specialists in different disciplines. It is about creating lasting relationships that become so deeply intertwined, that the whole ceases to be a sum of its parts, and instead becomes a living, breathing organism in itself.
Luis Barragan said that “Architecture is the spatial execution of spiritual decisions.” For us, Spirit implies balance, understanding and tranquility.
Their work draws inspiration from nature, not through only its physical forms, but through its principles and processes. They have also tried to resurrect the Indian artisan, as well as cultivate the use of local materials as a corollary to encourage sustainability. This is exemplified by our works that incorporate load-bearing brick masonry, stone masonry, exposed concrete, and most recently, the innovative use of structural steel.
Their diverse, dynamic, and radical portfolio of works includes Residential, Commercial, R&D, Healthcare, Hospitality, Educational, Cultural, and Institutional as well as master planning projects.
The design concept hinges on the need to comprehend and as a consequence embrace nature. Although the site for the residence is an urban one yet it is one of the few places left in the city of Pune that is inundated with large old trees and retains the character of a forest.
The house, therefore, had to find a place between the trees. This was no easy matter as the footprint is almost 12,000 sq ft. One more factor that added to the complexity was the introduction of the ‘vastu’ mandala’ by the client which became the starting point of the entire planning exercise.
The plan that emerged was thus a filtrate of a fairly intensive dissemination process. The only difference is that we never let this process get too clinical: instead, the issues of sensitivity, tranquility, and matters of the spirit predominantly held sway. For example, the meditation place as per ‘vastu’ is located in the northeast corner, and so is the ‘kund’ or water body.
The reason for this setup is that in the ancient context waking up in the early hours of the morning, the act of bathing, followed by a period of meditation was meant to be a daily ritual. The northeast provides the best orientation to experience the sunrise during the process of meditation. The place for meditation has been located inside the ‘kund’ and is connected by a stone bridge. This arrangement is symbolic of the act of ‘renunciation’ that is integral to the meditation process.
