The House of Mango Shadows: A Paradigm Shift in House Design, Chandigarh, India by Design i.O

House of Mango Shadows House Design
Architects: Design i.O
Area: 3800 ft²
Year: 2023
Photographs:Jeevan Jyot
Manufacturers: ALCOI, Asian Paints, Jaguar, Kriglow, Legrand, Ziba Homes
Lead Architects: Saurabh Singla, Palak Singla
Structural Engineer: Rakhra Associates
Design Team: Himanshu Agrawal, Darshan Paliwal
Program / Use / Building Function: Holiday Home
City: Chandigarh
Country: India
Reimagining Residing with Nature at this Holiday Home in Chandigarh. On a quest for a compact spot among the mango, chikoo, and guava trees, there is an amorphous one to be found right where it is surrounded by fruit trees everywhere. Finding one of these is challenging in an area close to the city boundaries.
Situated in Chandigarh, this 3800 sq. ft. holiday home denies being known as a built structure amidst nature but instead identifies as if it emerged from nature itself. Rightly so, it has been conceptualized, laid out, and crafted to camouflage with the surrounding silence and solitude. House of Mango Shadows greets visitors with a compact yet refreshing entryway with trees on either side of the paved walkway. Upon entering through the main door, one is revitalized to witness the absence of brick walls and concrete columns, setting the very tone of this serene sanctuary to contemplate after the mundane routine.
House of Mango Shadows is composed to harmonize with nature and to let in as much as desired. This is strategically done by incorporating expansive, slide, and fold windows from ALCOI, softening the architectural boundaries silently and seamlessly. Walking into the open floor plan, the common spaces, such as the living room, dining, kitchen, pool room, and TV lounge, are segregated by functional partitions, which serve as part screen and display units. Going further, the private spaces, such as bedrooms, consist of more secure openings, using sliding doors & windows and a bamboo screen to offer additional privacy. Each bedroom has an attached washroom, which features a private courtyard with an outdoor bathing area.
Natural materials, including Teak and Ashwood for doors and furniture, Kota stone for flooring, Green Spider marble, and Jaisalmer Stone for the washrooms reflect stripping the nonessential ornaments and evoke mindfulness and minimalism. Unbound by the conventional perceptions of a roof, the project houses three skylights, lighting up the spaces effectively and naturally. “Although we signed this project to build it as a farmhouse, on visiting the site, we experienced a distinct sense of realization. At that very moment, we knew we wanted to build on the sense of oneness and further encourage spiritual reflection.” Saurabh and Palak, co-founders of Design i.O.
In the tapestry of architecture and design, where human aspirations meet the raw beauty of the natural world, House of Mango Shadows in Chandigarh embodies a harmonious blend, echoing the sentiment of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe: "We should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together in a higher unity." Here, amidst mango, chikoo, and guava trees, walls dissolve, and expansive windows open to the organic world. Crafted by Saurabh and Palak, it serves as a living testament to the inseparable bond between human design and nature's grace-a sanctuary where architecture and nature converge in a higher unity, offering space for contemplation, reflection, and spiritual oneness.

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