#91 Residences

Residences contemporary indian houses book cover
  • Date : January 2016 | House on a Stream
  • Featured Project : Riparian House

#91 Residences, Contemporary Houses in India – House on a Stream, Incite

 

The 91 Residences series maps the multiple directions of contemporary Indian residential architecture. The houses in the series can be classified into contextual typologies. For example one could categorise projects as urban boxes and sprawling sub-urban houses in picturesque landscapes. They also bring to the forefront, concepts such as aesthetics of volumes and play of materials. Alongside this they display a fetish for technology, design for thermal comfort and energy conservation.

+91 Residences derived the qualifying adjective from the country phone code for India. It included 91 homes designed by architects in India built after the year 2000. Thereafter the sequel +91 residences Ex10ded, continued the documentation through photographs, sketches, drawings, models. It also added ten essays by architects. The “#” (hash) sign was often used as a prefix of the pin code in a postal address. The “hashtag” (#) in recent times, has taken on a larger meaning. As searchable index marking keywords its use is extended on social networking and microblogging sites.

 

Categorisation of the Hashtag

Historically, projects have been categorised into typologies by use and classified by climatic response, size, style etc. The hashtag allows moving away from these restrictive categories. More so it creates new affinities among previously non-connected buildings for instant access to similar creative expressions. Buildings become linked by ideas and elements. A pergola in a classic building may find a connection to another pergola in a contemporary building.

The categories in this publication become fluid and the connections extensive. One moves from a hierarchical classification to a lateral and more fluid, sometimes even tenuous connection. When combined with a digital component, the project in the 91 residences books have the potential to relate to elements from projects outside the book and inform innumerable sub-sets.

 

The 91 residences publication is an attempt to present a dispassionate compilation of the diverse images and ideas that make up contemporary architectural thinking in India. The expectation is that the individual projects will form further affinities with projects outside of these books.

This publication features the House on a Stream amongst a 107 other homes in India. The house on a stream is a project where a seasonal stream takes centre stage in the design and experience of the home. Therefore the house consists of two parts. A bridge connects the main house from a master bedroom pavilion. The house alternately opens and closes itself to the different characteristics of the site. While it delicately weaves itself into the landscape, it makes way and reaches out between the natural landscape elements.