Sitish Parikh’s Farmhouse Vadodara, Gujarat

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Dipen Gada

Founder and Principal Architect,

Dipen Gada & Associates (DGA)

Sitish Parikh’s Farmhouse at Vadodara is a humble residence that has responded to the climate and site. It is a fun fact that the house is both an inward and outward-looking house at the same time.

**The space is demarcated by a tall frame done in exposed brick**

One of the USPs of the project would be that it connects well with the most playful element of nature – the sun through its dynamic perforated screens and courtyards that animate the spill-out spaces with playful shadows throughout the day. The site sits on the outskirts of Baroda near a village named Ampad.

The client happens to be one of the prominent developers in the city. He approached the architect with the requirement of building a second home where they could unwind and relax in the lap of nature. The client gave complete freedom to the designers to exercise their creativity.

The plot is a squarish piece of land with a total area of roughly 43,600 Sq ft with a beautiful parcel of land with an existing orchard and a minimal client requirement of simply 2 bedrooms and a kitchen and dining. Since it was a farmhouse, the effort was to lend it a character similar to countryside houses on one floor. Thus the use of bricks, sloping roofs and Mangalore tiles.

**spaces in the house, the living- dining and both bedrooms have a semi-covered courtyard with subtle greens and brick jaali**

Its green setting further encouraged us to plan spaces in a manner that allows connection with the outside at all times, inviting ample sunlight along with it.

**The use of bricks, sloping roofs and Mangalore tiles**

The house is thus done in an ‘L -shape’ dividing the public and private spaces into separate wings with a central courtyard-like space that is held by a small swimming pool on one corner. The space is demarcated by a tall frame done in exposed brick.

The overall experience of journeying towards the house is quite fascinating, filled with surprises at various stages. The first veil appears in the form of a tall concave wall done in a manner that makes it look like a gorgeous brick jaali.

As one moves behind the brick jaali, along the curve, a very delicate but ornate box in casted antique jaali waits to invite you. This is the entry foyer to the house. Soon after entering it, one is astounded by the view that one encounters. An ambulatory on either side covered in a sloping roof and a stark blue pool amidst the greens instantly engaged one.

**The ambulatory circumscribing of the exteriors and one of the bedrooms**

The house is surrounded by a picturesque garden with a small orchard on one corner of the site. It nests a tiny circular seating area under it. There is another Terminalia court on the other side of the garden and a jogging track along the periphery of the plot.

All spaces in the house, the living- dining and both bedrooms have a semi-covered courtyard with subtle greens and brick jaali as a spill-out space on one end. The ambulatory circumscribing of the exteriors is another spill out on the other end of each of these rooms. Thus even though one is inside the house, there is a constant connection with the outdoors at all given times.