This project involved the making of two houses that were like ‘twins’ – identical in form and layout, yet with small individual variations. The clients were two brothers in a joint family, who required their own residences and yet wanted a similarity of ‘look’ and ‘feel’. The site consisted of two adjacent plots in an upcoming plotted development that were considered together as one long linear plot.

The site level configuration was developed to create a common shared garden between the two houses, as well as a small individual courtyard garden for each house on the other side. The built form and landscape design at the site level informed each other and were developed in close collaboration with the landscape architect. The internal arrangement of spaces again relates with the two gardens outside while responding to the individual requirements of each family.

The space and volume modulation are done to enhance the feeling of an ‘open-connected house’ that the clients had in mind. One of the spaces at the ground level in each house was developed with a high volume for connecting the two levels. The folded concrete staircase became another important element in the design of both houses.

The system of structure was developed to allow for larger openings and the inter-connected nature of spaces. The form language follows the nature of the structure, with select concrete walls, ceilings and the staircase kept form finished R.C.C. to accentuate their character. The floor was done with limestone, parts of it with river-wash finish, to further diffuse the boundary between inside & outside.