E7-2 House / Montage DESIGNBUILD

Architects: Montage DESIGNBUILD
Location: Islamabad, Pakistan
Project year: 2003
Construction year: 2004-2007
Site Area: 1,000 sq yds
Constructed Area: 697 sqm
Budget: US $202,500
Photographs: Montage DESIGNBUILD

E7-2, Islamabad embodies the traditional values of a typical Pakistani family in a bold new fashion , resulting in a very modern arrangement of spaces and forms. It is located in a very posh area adjacent to the margalla hills, hence affording beautiful views from upper terraces.

In Pakistani culture the disjunction between the public and private almost reaches absurd levels,…. considering that I chucked the public space i.e. drawing room out of the house, …. Throwing it out in the open, linking it only through a glass bridge. The remaining house is like one solid shell where boundaries are minimal and where every space seamlessly flows into the other. By creating a fourteen feet high ceiling for the living room, different levels flow into one another, thus creating a strong link between the living spaces and the bedrooms on the upper floors. But the link of this shell to the outside world is again through a bridge that passes over a water body, which acts like a reflection pool at night.

The entire basement is designed as an entertainment area and some utilities, but a sunken lawn and green spaces around the basement create lavish seating and dining spaces for guests that can be brought directly into the basement. All of the terraces can also be used for entertainment, from inside or directly from outside the house.