JAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

Construction Area: 75sqm

Capacity: living room, bedroom, outdoor lounges

The vault house occupies a tight location in a densely populated region of west of jaipur, the capital city of rajasthan. A significant volume of this area is surrounded by age-old aravalli mountains. The design brief was simple. To add a lounge space above a 40 years old house sizing 7.5mx15m.

With the emphasis on thermal comfort, optimum natural light & evolving ethereal sensibilities, making of a brick vault comes into the design process. The space accommodates an entrance foyer, living+study, bedroom+toilet. The layout sits as an island flanked with terraces on east and west facing facades.

The structure is load bearing crowned with a longitudinal segmental barrel vault in exposed brick (locally available & recyclable) in which the header is laid orthogonally till abutment. Cow dung scaffolding & mud plaster control thermal & economics quotient.

In the interiors, while the living space is placed at south-east with low solar insolation, bedroom is at south-west corner with louvered fenestrations. 30 yeards old ‘peepal’ tree shading the south-west side further deflects the low altitude solar radiation. Its huge foliage & deep shadow shades the terrace and the space within which makes the structure thermally comfortable during afternoon hours with maximum views. Louvered wooden windows augments the effect through controlled breeze & moving shadows.

Three terraces add an element of neighbourhood exchange.

The entire design is executed through bygone construction techniques by the forgotten, old but skilled masons. Given the freedom, these masons had evolved indigenous methods & know-how of their times, especially with reference to local climate & culture.