A Minimal Home With a Surprise Bedroom Element

Tathastu, a word of Sanskrit origin often heard in mythological series to grant a wish, literally means “so be it“. This concrete-and-red brick facade mansion in Nadiad, Gujarat is the family home of Subhash Shah, a civil engineer by profession. Designed by ACE Associates, the simplistic facade belies the tastefully-decorated sprawling house inside.

If you are wondering what the surprise bedroom element is, you will have to scroll down to see what fancies you!

About the project:

Name: Tathasthu

Who lives here: Mr. Subhash Shah , his wife and two teenage daughters

Location: Nadiad, Gujarat

Year built: 2019

Size: 5,378 sq.ft house comprising 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms

Designed by: ACE ASSOCIATES

Photograph courtesy for the images: INCLINED STUDIO

The 5,378 sq.ft home is spread over two levels. It is a minimalist and uncluttered home. To box it under a particular design style would not be apt as it is a mix of contemporary and traditional design.

The layout of the house is simple that flows naturally from the public to private areas. All the rooms are well illuminated with natural light and some with a direct line of sight to the greenery outside. The house is built in accordance with Vaastu Shastra – the ancient spatial principles of design and architecture.

Garden + Foyer

Housed in a residential area, the entrance faces the south. Summers can be harsh in this part of the country. To keep the heat at bay using clever design, the architects incorporated a garden area and a veranda between the boundary wall and the living areas of the house.

The architect adds,

The green wall ~ garden ensures the house is not exposed to direct sunlight by acting as a privacy and heat barrier. The juxtaposing of concrete and red bricks gives the home an earthy look. For us, the most interesting aspect of this project was that the client is a civil engineer which meant he understood the creative and technical aspects of the project at a micro level. He gave us complete artistic freedom to execute the project.

The garden has a veranda, just like olden homes, with a leather bench – isn’t that a healthy mix of old design and modern comfort? The foyer has a Ganapati painting with a wooden bench and contemporary pendant light.

Living + Dining

The living room is bright and airy with the large windows overlooking the garden in the front.

To the right of the foyer is a huge open space that serves as the living — accommodating a formal and informal living with no partitions. The formal living room overlooks the front yard comprising veranda and the garden, while the informal (family) living with the TV opens up to the dining and private areas of the house.

Intersecting the informal living and kitchen, the dining space is having minimal raw wood log dining table and wooden chairs.