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Architects: The Grid Architects
- Area: 15993 ft²
- Year: 2025
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Photographs:Vinay Panjwani
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Lead Architects: Snehal Suthar, Bhadri Suthar
Text description provided by the architects. Nirmay (निर्मय) reflects purity and holistic well-being. Envisioned as a quiet sanctuary amidst the noise of urban life, it offers a way of living that is calm, conscious, and deeply connected to the land. Rooted in sustainability and ecological harmony, the design responds to both nature and the everyday rhythms of its inhabitants. The planning is guided by climatic factors—sun trajectory, wind patterns, and the surrounding ecosystem—ensuring an energy-efficient and climate-responsive design. Nirmay Villa evolves from its context, inhabitants, and environment, with geometry forming the foundation of the architecture, establishing a trinity of structure, form, and function. A key aspect of the design stems from the client's deep connection with farming, a tradition honored through the creation of a dedicated fruit orchard and organic farm on the Northern side of the plot. The home is built in harmony. maintaining a deep connection to the land it rises from.
The design evolves from a deep understanding of context, user needs, and environmental responsibility. Structural massing is kept low, merging with the site's topography. Architecture, internal planning, and open-to-sky courtyards respond to Ahmedabad's hot and arid climate—reducing heat gain and enhancing passive cooling. The L-shaped layout, anchored in the southwest corner, maximizes morning sunlight from the east while shielding interiors from harsh southwest heat. This orientation ensures that all living spaces open eastward, offering expansive views of the infinity terrain and fruit orchards. The roof is sloped strategically, with higher openings toward the east to bring in natural light, reduce heat, and connect to the landscape.
The villa has two distinct entries. In response to the client's public role, the primary arrival begins at a gazebo functioning as an outdoor office, enabling meetings without entering private spaces. Flanked by a rockfall and waterbody, the office creates a quiet transition from outdoors to built space; the rockfall adds a sensory layer while aiding passive cooling and ventilation. A layered and immersive landscaped path extends inward, gradually guiding visitors toward the main residence.
The second, private entry is more secluded—accessed via an internal road turning toward the southwest, where the home is anchored. On one side, a sequence of stone columns forms a layered screen against a slit-wall with glass insets, bringing filtered light into the staircase that leads to the basement home theatre. On the other, a second slit-wall diffuses sunlight and reinforces privacy, serving as a shading screen that balances function with visual lightness. Broad, stepped platforms lead to a traditional wooden door reclaimed from the client's ancestral home. Inside, a Ganesh idol sits centrally, surrounded by three courtyards.
To the right, a passage leads to the guest lounge—the heart of the design—framed by courtyards and water features that bring in filtered light and air while marking the transition between semi-private and private zones. The living and dining areas open onto an expansive deck, anchored by a lily pond that softens the edge between indoors and outdoors. The home is spread across two levels. The ground floor includes the guest lounge, indoor games area, formal living, dining, and east-facing master bedrooms, all opening onto private decks overlooking orchards. The EAST facing bedrooms are placed adjacent to the pool, with direct access to the spa, changing rooms, and lounging deck. The pool follows the slope of the terrain, offering horizon views. The upper level houses two bedrooms, each oriented to capture light and landscape.
A party zone near the orchard, complete with a kitchen and restrooms, accommodates both intimate and social gatherings. Locally crafted furniture, curated artworks, and natural materials add warmth and authenticity. A continuous deck wraps around the home, maintaining a constant visual or physical connection to greenery or water. Strategically placed lily ponds and pools enhance microclimate, creating peaceful, reflective pockets. Along the southwest wall, a linear courtyard filters sunlight, ensuring thermal comfort. The interiors explore light, materiality, and spatial flow—embracing nature as a quiet, constant presence in everyday life.
The material palette draws from locally sourced, sustainable resources with an eco-conscious sensibility. Kotah stone flooring provides natural thermal insulation while lime plaster enhances breathability, absorbs CO₂, and deters insects. Reclaimed wood from the client's ancestral home is used for doors and windows, adding heritage and reducing environmental impact. Water features like the rockfall and lily pond help regulate the microclimate, supported by dense plantations that buffer heat and filter air. Solar panels, rainwater harvesting, and greywater recycling systems enhance self-sufficiency. Each material is selected for its long-term sustainability, ensuring the building ages well while remaining ecologically sensitive and deeply rooted in its context.
Daylight is embraced as a core architectural tool, shaping spatial experiences and reducing energy consumption. Skylights, courtyards, and large openable windows ensure ample daylight. The east-facing layout optimizes morning light while shading elements soften the heat. The balanced use of sunlight, shadow, and reflection contributes to a functional and visually cohesive living experience.
Ahmedabad's extreme climate was addressed through an L-shaped layout that minimizes heat gain and promotes passive cooling through shaded decks, courtyards, and water bodies. The built form is anchored in the southwest corner, leaving the northern side open for orchards and farming—ensuring optimal land use. A dual-entry system separates professional and personal access, maintaining privacy while allowing shared spaces for gatherings. The roof is strategically sloped, with higher openings toward the east to reduce southwest heat, bring in natural light, and frame expansive landscape views. Sustainability guided every aspect—from climate-responsive materials and renewable systems to water-sensitive planning. The compact footprint preserves fertile land, supporting long-term ecological balance.
Nirmay Villa offers a mindful way of living—deeply connected to the land and its rhythms. Through contextual planning, ecological sensitivity, and spatial clarity, the home supports both retreat and interaction, integrating comfort, functionality, and purpose, where every element—built or unbuilt—works in rhythm with the environment and the people it shelters. The home evolves with its inhabitants while staying connected to the organic fabric.
