anagram architects split indian home to create light-filled atrium

anagram architects designed the ‘cleft house’ in delhi for members of a three-generation joint family. the northwest-facing home is built on a narrow 326 sqm plot that faces a busy city road in a dense precinct. working with the lot proportions, the designers reconciled the acute lack of visual privacy on the site with their clients’ desire for an open, light-filled and convivial home that brings together their family and their friends.

anagram architects’ approach steps away from conventional circulation and spatial arrangements, typical to such plotted residences. they considered the built volume as a breached monolith rather than as a composition of fenestrated volumes and surface renders. faceted and insulated stone facades protect the house from the lack of privacy to the front, and similarly the service areas, en suites and closets are planned at the rear to mitigate southern heat gain.

the deep void carved out, bridged at the front and rear on the upper levels, creates a meandering, naturally ventilated and social courtyard at the heart of the residence, pulling in views and balconies from all the rooms of the house. it draws ample light, softened by white and wood surface renders and the rooftop glazing, deep into the basement. the cross-ventilation of the atrium, controlled by operating the windows on the bridges, can be enhanced through thermal stacking in the summer months aided by an evaporative cooler for humidification and through a wind tunnel effect during the monsoons.

the angled volumes of the house are engaged in constant dialogue, with enough negative space in between to create a naturally-lit interior. the segmented facade is further emphasized by the illumination: sconces pointing at the crease lines of the material to highlight the shapes. the triangulated exterior is complemented by a smoother interior centerpiece of the house: the spiral staircase. its smooth and curvy sculpted form is at the middle of the home, connecting all the floors and respective families together.