Design Work Group has completed a family home in the Indian port city of Surat, which features a gently undulating brick facade that offers shade from the sun.
The building's location at the intersection of two roads informed the architects' decision to divide it into two contrasting zones – one encased in concrete and the other in brick.
"The site is a part of residential area on a corner plot approached from road on the west edge," explained the studio, which is based locally. "The layout was organised so that the private zone was at the inner side, and public zone at the front."
The more private side of the house is located at the south-west of the the site, away from the road, and comprises a kitchen, dining room and bedrooms, as well as an area for the client's staff.
By contrast, a large lounge with a terrace at either end is positioned overlooking the road, where it is joined by a carport. Opaque red brick screens extend out to afford a degree of privacy on the terraces, which are fronted with glass balustrades. But perforations in the brickwork at eye level allow the residents to peer out over the street.
The double-height living room forms the main space of Brick Curtain House, but due to its position, it was exposed to direct sunlight throughout the day and at risk of overheating.
"The spatial organisation brought with it the biggest climatic challenge – the front facade with large surface areas are exposed to the west side, intensifying the heat gain throughout the day," explained the architects.
To ensure this space was usable throughout the day, Design Work Group tried and tested a number of potential interventions that would ensure the building remained cool. The final outcome was the protruding brick facade.
Undulations in the facade enables the wall to shade itself, while the overhangs prevent direct sunlight into the space, working concurrently to reduce heat gain.
While serving a primarily functional purpose, the brick facade also embellishes the otherwise plain concrete walls of the house.
To complement the exposed brickwork, the public spaces are complete with autumnal-toned furniture. Natural-coloured finishes feature throughout the rest of the house also, with wooden cabinets and tables teamed with marble flooring and areas of exposed concrete.
Other homes with decorative brick facades include the Ruffey Lake House by Inbetween Architecture, which features perforated brickwork as means to break up the mass of the structure.
Photography is by phxindia (Sebastian Zachariah and Ira Gosalia).
Project credits:
Design team: Dinesh Suthar, Bharat Patel, Jitendra Sabalpara, Sonakshi Berlia, Bhavika Suthar, Vishakha Jain, Ankit Sojitra, Chirag Katrodiya
Structure: Angle Consultancy
Contractor: Himmat Patel
Carpenter: Sureshbhai Suthar
Electrician: Leo Electrical
Stone work: Praveen Tank
Paint work: Guddubhai
Windows: Dream Home Element
Exterior stone-chip plaster: Kesari Singh
Client: Kanjibhai Bhalala