Third Place Winner
Aabha
Design by
Yasha Daga & Devanshi Shah
The program is laid out nicely and the material choice is very suitable for creating beautiful sun rays. It would be better if the window openings can relate more to the patterns of brick than just punctured windows. And the roof opening pattern need more reasoning.
-Yimeng Teng
Yasha Daga & Devanshi Shah
Yasha Daga, an Architect, obtained her degree from Poornima University in Jaipur, India. As a Junior Architect, she seeks inspiration from the concept of creating and designing spaces that deeply connect with both the occupants and the surrounding environment. Her approach to architecture revolves around the idea of sustainability and responsible design. She strives to do justice to the project's unique site and context, meticulously considering location, culture, and the environment.
Devanshi Shah, an Architecture graduate from CEPT University in Ahmedabad, India, is a freelancer and Junior Architect at Is About Design. With a focus on small-scale architectural and residential projects, she crafts spaces that embody personified dreams. Passionate and inspiration driven, Devanshi believes in the power of architecture to tell compelling stories. Her work resonates with individuals on a personal level, reflecting their aspirations and desires. With a dedication to creating meaningful spaces, Devanshi Shah makes valuable contributions to the field of architecture, blending her inspiration and expertise to bring dreams to life.
Celebrating Creativity & Vision
Winner’s Spotlight: An Exclusive Interview
Discover the story behind the victory — from concept to creation.
Design Overview
Could you provide a brief description of your winning design? What were the key elements and concepts you incorporated? How did you prioritize and integrate sunlight into your design to create a transformative architectural space?
We started by asking critical questions that correlated sunlight as an integral element to the spatial experience of a home. We enquired about how we perceive light? Does it create drama? Is it a tangible material? Do we only live in the presence of light?
The design revolves around the material we have chosen for the residence according to the site context and the punctures we have given in the walls as well as ceilings. The play of sunlight interacting with the space creates a holistic mood for the residents transforming the space.
Rancharda, a small town in Ahmedabad, India was the chosen site for this particular project. We designed the villa in a way to gain maximum sunlight along with minimum heat gain. The struggle for the light is what made the design process a milestone.
Through "Aabha" we aim to create a home,
around pockets of light. These pockets are
juxtaposed together through a courtyard,
bridge, corner fenestrations and rays
of skylights through the concrete slabs
washing the walls of the house in a soft sunny
glow.
The ground floor is a public domain with a double volume formal lounge which overlooks the kund and the informal verandah, kitchen, a small dining space and some storage. A staircase then takes one up to a more private area with two bedrooms connected via a bridge. Each bedroom has a washroom and small study area.
The shadows play around the Villa as the day passes, also allowing the moonlight to dance around when the night comes. The slits on the roof projecting upon the bridge give the connection from the ground floor to the sky itself. The bedroom slits make the users sleep under the sky while gazing the stars.
The Villa typology allows freedom to
play with volumes and addition of multiple
of courtyards that create a harmonious
character on site. The parametric brick enclosures seem to dance around
the space, almost sculpting each room
and letting in light through a small series of
voids. The house caters to a family of four
people spread across 360 SQM. in front of
Rancharda lake in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India.
Importance of Sunlight
How do you perceive the importance of sunlight in architectural design? What benefits does it bring to occupants and the overall atmosphere of a space? Did you encounter any challenges in maximizing the utilization of sunlight in your design, and how did you address them?
Sunlight is an important contextual experience that changes across various types of landscapes. It alters the color of light while entering the building. Sunlight also affects the atmosphere of the space creating different moods at various times of the day. The main challenge was to maximize the use of sunlight whilst limiting the heat gain from the site climate. We started to tackle the harsh sunlight of Ahmedabad by creating a series of small fenestrations that were proportionately articulated by keeping in mind the materiality that we had chosen.
User Experience
How did you prioritize the well-being and comfort of the occupants in your design through the effective use of sunlight? Can you describe any specific spatial or experiential qualities created by the presence of natural light in your design?
Presence of optimum sunlight in a space directly enhances the comfort level of residents. The exposed concrete roof has a series of glass strips that not only create an interesting pattern of rhythmic shadows as the sun moves across the day but also provide various ambiences to the user. This ambience is best experienced when one walks across the glass bridge on the first floor and also while one is enjoying the lake view in the informal verandah on the ground floor.
Advice for Aspiring Architects
What advice would you give to aspiring architects or designers who are interested in exploring the integration of sunlight in their designs? Based on your experience, what are the key elements that make a design stand out in a competition of this nature?
The sunlight has always played a vital part in architecture. It is our reflection that the whole experience of space changes with the sunlight and its shadows directly influencing the design. The massive long brick walls create enclosures but also connect each other through parametric fenestrations.
Aspiring Designers and Architects shall get excited with the idea of incorporating sunlight in their designs. It is our belief that even if one is designing in a desert with no surrounding built forms, the sun and moon become the context and one must adhere to them.
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