Cover The light-filled living room offers seamless views of the full expanse of the landscaped gardens and courtyard
The light-filled living room offers seamless views of the full expanse of the landscaped gardens and courtyard
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Fab Studio’s brutalist-inspired residence that blurs boundaries between indoor living and natural landscapes
Nicknamed the Urban Retreat Farmhouse, this residential project by New Delhi-based architectural and design firm Fab Studio is located in Chhatarpur, right on the edge of bustling New Delhi in India.
Here, Jaskaran Singh, principal architect of Fab Studio, shares that “the homes are primarily much larger to those in the main city, almost like a perfect sanctuary of built-up areas with a healthy balance of landscaping-tranquil and nature-immersive.”
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As such, the residence is situated amidst a four-acre plot of farmland, where the New Delhi-based couple seeks the help of Singh’s team to build a full-time home that exudes effortless tranquility, merging seamlessly with nature, while showcasing both artistic and industrial influences.
Slight undertones of brutalist architecture that blends into its natural surroundings
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“The husband is an industrialist, and his wife is an artist, and they had envisioned the space to be almost like a retreat that reflects their tastes and their professional lives at the same time,” Singh recalls. “They wanted a space that would engage all five senses: taste, touch, sound, sight, and smell.”
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Body of water encircles the main structure, evoking a zen-like openness to nature
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He also claims that there was almost an instant synergy during their first meeting, the fact that the homeowners were very clear on what kind of space they were looking for, was reason enough for the architect to take up the project.
“We could imagine the space built in our minds as they were talking, and it was aligned with our style–very partial towards spaces that layer nature, art, and functionality together in a healthy balance,” he adds.
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The light-filled living room is a space to ideate, relax, and interact
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The single-storey property has a built-up area of 14,000 sq ft, with very slight undertones of brutalist architecture imbued into its straight-lined, minimalist structure that blends into its natural surroundings.
Comprising bedrooms, living rooms, a dining room, and an office, the home is designed with an open plan to ensure seamless accessibility and a sense of porosity throughout.
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Each interior space is flooded with natural light through expansive windows and sliding doors, pouring in from the central courtyard with a swimming pool; while a shallow body of water that encircles the main structure evokes a zen-like and soothing openness with the verdant landscape.
Above Natural light and views coming in through expansive windows and sliding doors
Natural light and views coming in through expansive windows and sliding doors
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“I wouldn’t say it was the biggest challenge, but it was a happy challenge to integrate nature with all its natural contours around the house,” Singh explains. “More often than not, spaces are divided into indoor spaces and outdoor spaces, but here, we were creating a space where this division was almost non-existent; no room is in isolation, per se, with an almost seamless connection with the outdoors.”
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The living room, in particular, exemplifies the indoor-outdoor design code, as he illustrates of his favourite room in the project: “It offers seamless views of the full expanse of the landscaped gardens and the courtyard, bringing in a tremendous amount of natural light.”
“It is a room where you can ideate, relax, and interact, lending itself to different emotions and functions,” he continues.
Above The formal dining room integrates with the outdoor nature
Above Spanish marble adds depth and character along the corridor
The formal dining room integrates with the outdoor nature
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Besides that, while Fab Studio commonly aims to achieve the maximum possible ceiling height for farmhouse designs, the sense of proportion emphasised the horizontals more than the grand verticals for this particular space.
“We were going with a ceiling height with the roof being cast at 16 feet, but the clients asked for it to be pulled down to 14 feet,” Singh elaborates. “This was an interesting learning curve, and it is something that we now look at very consciously when we are designing spaces.”
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Above Wood and bespoke textures in the office reflect the artistic personality of the owner
Wood and bespoke textures in the office reflect the artistic personality of the owner
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While there is a lot of grey from the façade of exposed concrete, it is “a match made in heaven,” when paired with the green of the landscape. Inside, solid shades of neutral correspond to the strong and vibrant colours of art pieces on display throughout the home.
“The space is designed like a bare and stern shell, and the softness that the art, upholstery, and soft furnishings bring in almost enhances each element’s aesthetic more than it ordinarily would have,” Singh says.
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Above An open-plan layout ensures a sense of porosity and seamlessness throughout
An open-plan layout ensures a sense of porosity and seamlessness throughout
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Furthermore, an eco-conscious ethos is reflected in the sustainable materials and energy-efficient systems chosen, every aspect thoughtfully curated to minimise ecological impact while exuding timeless elegance, and ensure sustainability and longevity.
This includes Spanish marble that adds depth and character in the home, while wood and bespoke textures reflect the artistic personality of the owner.
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Above The bedroom that exudes timeless elegance
The bedroom that exudes timeless elegance
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“It is almost like a sanctuary, the perfect place for its residents to start the day, and exactly the kind of place they would want to zero down to at the end of the day,” Singh concludes.
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Credits
Photography: Zcyphher
Celeste Goh is a senior writer covering architecture and design. Based in Malaysia, she reports on emerging architectural and home design trends, as well as insights by local and international architects and interior designers.
Previously, she covered men’s lifestyle, fashion, music and entertainment.
