The construction of Pool caught the attention of another resident of Bansberia. Impressed by the work that was happening; he was motivated to approach ADS for professional help as well. Looking to build an extension for his residence as well in an adjacent plot, his requirement comprised converting a brick-lined pond to a swimming pool with structures housing a gym, changing rooms and guest entertainment lounges flanking the pool and lawns. The landscape incorporated a barbeque station, a sunken sit-out and a small aviary amidst the hard and soft scaped open areas. The House of Sweeping Shadows posed a different challenge altogether. A small shell of a two-storey building already stood on the edge of the pond. Conceived by the client's father, the structure was built in the prevailing style by local masons as a composition of decorative columns supporting a pitched concrete roof. While the client wished for a contemporary recreational outhouse with a much larger program, he was reluctant to break this building for sentimental reasons. Given the unremarkable nature of the existing building, we were prompted to encase the mass with a modern facade to create a bolder form. A self-supporting metal structure was devised with minimal anchoring on the building within. This in turn enabled the incorporation of a verandah on the upper level. The resulting complex was a very different design expression to any precedents. The composition of masses, bold crafted metal extension with soft verdant landscape, and the dark hues complementing the open skies over the reflective water body made for a serene, contemporary extension to the client's residence. Designed as a curved, louvered surface, the crafted metal facade casts mesmerising shadows in the interior spaces. There is a soft play of light and shade as the sun moves across the horizon through the day. Rectilinear punctuations along the curve, crafted as this lamina surfaces using sheet metal, strategically open out the spaces to the idyllic views outside. The interiors are treated in simple lines with whitewashed walls and contemporary furniture over a daring red floor. Open louvers allow for the verandah to stay well ventilated while keeping the sharp south-western sunlight at bay by breaking it up into thin tendrils of light. The sunken sit-out is contrastingly rendered in pigmented concrete complemented with views of the pool, verdant plant-beds and the aviary.
