Harking Back to Regional Flavour | Sanjay Puri Architects

Sanjay Puri Architects revives Indian traditional planning principles and traditional crafts, to create a palatial home that reminds one of the erstwhile palaces of Rajasthan…

Situated in the arid desert region of Nokha in Rajasthan, India, Narsighar – as the home is christened (translating to the Narsi’s house) imbibes the traditional planning principles of the regional architecture prevalent for centuries in Rajasthan. Over centuries, most of the houses and palaces built in this region have had courtyards for passive cooling, thick stone walls to combat the excessive heat and stone ‘jaali’ screens to mitigate heat gain.

Taking a cue from contextual influences, contract labour from the nearby villages, stone from the vicinity, craftsmen from the region, and all materials sourced locally, Narsighar is punctuated with a series of courtyards and is built from local sandstone. Each of the living spaces opens into sheltered outdoor spaces screened with perforated stone panels. These screens, in addition to reducing heat gain, also protect the inner spaces from the sandstorms prevalent in the region.

The home, based on the client’s needs to accommodate four generations, has nine bedrooms with multifunctional living spaces, sheltered courtyards, and patios all around. In addition to the traditional planning principles, elements of traditional Rajasthan architecture, including multifoil arched windows, patterned stone screens, stone pergolas, inlay work, and carving work, accentuate the spaces. In India, Rajasthan is home to many craftsmen with specialties in stone carving, marble inlay, carpentry work, mirror work inlay, lime plastering, and more. The entire house is executed and worked upon by these local craftsmen, reviving many traditional techniques.

Although the house appears large, over 40% of the area is in the form of open courtyards, circulation spaces, and sheltered outdoor patios. Each volume is articulated individually, with the home being perceived as a composition of varying volumes.

An entry car porch opens into a sunlit courtyard that leads to a sheltered stone arcade, flanked by water troughs and gardens for passive cooling before one enters the house. The skylit entrance lobby within the house, flanked by a living room and an open seating area, leads one into a large central courtyard.

The main courtyard punctuating the house is naturally ventilated through clearstory windows with the circulation skirting its perimeter. Sectionally, there is a flow of different volumes within. Most of the rooms are 4m high, with the main living room at 6.5m high, the central courtyard to 12m high, the north and south courtyards 8m high, and the outdoor patios 3.6m high. The sheltered outdoor spaces create transitional volumes between the inside and the outside to mitigate heat gain. Consequently, indirect sunlight permeates all the spaces, filtered through arches or stone screens that create intriguing chiaroscuro elements throughout the day.

Designed contextual to the climate, location, and heritage of the region, the energy-efficient Narsighar acts as a torchbearer for future generations.

Fact File:
Typology: Residential Architecture & Interior Design
Client: Mr Narsi Kularia
Project Name: Narsighar
Architect: Sanjay Puri Architects
Lead Architects: Mr. Sanjay Puri, Ms.Nina Puri
Design Team: Pooja Sampat, Ayesha Puri, Tanya Puri, Nilesh Patel, Ashwini Mogaveera, Sarika Kadam
Gross Floor Area: 3344.67 sq. m.
Location: Nokha, Rajasthan, India
Photo credits: Vinay Panjwani
Text courtesy of v2com