Renowned for exceptional design in architecture, Sanjay Puri Architects creates remarkable residential spaces that balance living life inside and outside to perfection. In conceiving Nine X Nine, lead architects and founders of the practice, Sanjay and Nina Puri and their team of Ayesha Puri and Nilesh Patel, have designed a future-forward home for a family, a place of calm and coolness, with outstanding facility.
Nine X Nine is located in Gandhinagar, India, the capital of the province Gujarat. The climate in this region is semi-arid and, in summer, the temperature can reach upwards of 50 degrees Celsius. Designing a house that sits well in the landscape and addresses the elements is an imperative, leading the architects to draw on both the natural and man-made to create a unique sanctuary.
The home covers 1672-square-metres on a site of 3311-square-metres and, while large, in some spaces monumental, there is a curation of places that respond not only to a crowd but also to the individual. Of great importance has been the retention of nine existing trees on the site, with two punctuating an open deck area and others within close proximity to the home.
From the street, entry to the home is through a large cluster of trees at the north-western corner of the house and the architecture is revealed as one moves closer to the home. On the northern side is a large garden and all rooms are orientated towards this sea of greenery that helps mediate the heat.
The three-level house is T shaped in both layout and sections with a central spine that branches from north to east and west with a central spiral stairway. Entry to the home proper is at ground level, through a double-height void that affords a glimpse of the upper level.
The living, dining, kitchen and guest bedroom are on the ground floor and above are three bedrooms, each accessing the natural landscape on two sides. The subterranean level includes entertainment spaces and a small gallery which displays the resident’s art collection.
Every space in the home opens out to large, cantilevered decks that become transitional spaces and flexible places for a variety of uses. These deep recesses also serve to keep the internal volumes of the home cool in the hot summer months and offer shelter when the weather is inclement.
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Nine X Nine has been designed to be energy efficient and air conditioning is used infrequently. There is ample natural light in all areas of the interior, water is recycled, rainwater is harvested and materials within the home are natural and authentic.
The internal palette is minimal and sophisticated with white marble flooring, timber furniture and white painted walls and ceilings. Floor-to-ceiling glazing with views of the garden merge the inside with the outside and large voids within create depth and a feeling of largesse.
Of note is the majestic spiral staircase that links the levels. Painted in white with an inset wall of glass bricks at ground level to reflect the natural light, this grand feature becomes a focal point of the interior.
While the scale of this house could be overwhelming, the inclusion of a lower ceiling in the entrance hall makes this an intimate space and helps create a more human dimension within the home.
A sunken courtyard has been positioned on the western side of the building and this allows light and air to flow to the subterranean level that is linked to the garden at ground level. In this area there is also a waterfall and shallow reflection pool beside an open stairway which also provides passive cooling to the interior.
The form of Nine X Nine is anything but usual with the enormous, smooth rendered walls that swathe the exterior and protect the residents from the elements. Carefully positioned windows and openings create connection to the outside; however, this home is certainly a private paradise.
Nine X Nine is monumental yet intimate, expansive but human-scale and is a place quite unlike any other. Once again Sanjay Puri Architects has designed an extraordinary residence that meets the brief and adds so much more in style and finesse.
This is a home that weathers the elements and conquers extremes but it is also singular in its design and expertly realised by the architect and builder. Nine X Nine is a 10 out of 10 for architecture that challenges the norm and creates a new and exciting vision of home.
