sujit nair undulates S-house to challenge urban grid

sujit nair undulates S-house to challenge urban grid
photo © sujith sugudhan
all images courtesy of sujit nair

sujit nair design group, also known as SDeG, has developed a project called ‘S-house’ in chennai, india. the residence is located on a 110 m² plot in a dense, urban setting. its undulating appearance sets it distinctly apart in this neighborhood. this was done consciously to challenge the site’s rigid edges, and to formally cushion everything visibly grid-like in the surrounding environment.

views of the ocular projections
photo © sujith sugudhan

the bulbous concrete envelope is doubled-walled, thickened to mitigate heat gains and engineered to form air gaps, while housing customized glazing and building management systems. it was constructed using lightweight cast-in-place ferroconcrete on wood, fibre glass and steel sheet-moulds. most parts of the construction involved dexterous masons, and very few mechanized processes, to curb costs.

(left): the living area from the stair
(right): the beginning of the staircase
photo © sujith sugudhan

programmatically, the house looks inwards with an atrium penetrating the volume to link several spaces together. a series of sculpted, cantilevered treads wind upward along the void’s edges to connect the living and private spaces, leading up to a rooftop pool and media room. the façades respond to the distribution of these functions, evident in the formation of ocular projections.

views of the stair as visitors ascend up the steps
photo © sujith sugudhan

(left): façade as you walk down the street
(right): view of the swimming pool
photo © sujith sugudhan

closeup of the façade
photo © sujith sugudhan

project info:

location: chennai, india
built area: 340 m²
project year: 2014
architects: sujit nair design group (SDeG)
design team: sujit nair, balaji t
project team: sujit nair, balaji t, khushboo sitapara, sigina, eun kwang kim, harikrishna
technical advisor/façade consultant: mr. sathyanarayana of polux technologies pvt ltd
material research: mr. sathyanarayana of polux technologies pvt ltd
structural designer: arun associates
photography: sujith sugudhan

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.