Business of Life
Posted in urban living
Urban living
Sea views, wide-open spaces spread over 8,000 sq. ft, a private lift connecting first and second floors: life in the city doesn’t get much better than this
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The family entertainment area adjoins the central hall. Visible beyond the glass wall to left is a part of the sea-facing balcony opening out from the central hall |
Before they started work on this luxury apartment, architects Bahaar and Kaif Faquih of the Mumbai-based firm Faquih and Associates, spent considerable time getting to know their client Piyush Kothari and understanding the family’s requirements.
The duplex, spread over 8,000 sq. ft, has a fairly symmetrical plan. A perforated wall separates the lobby from the central hall. |
The wall, in a sense, sets the design dictum that has been followed throughout the house—visual connectivity.The double-height (22ft.) central hall has two wings, one on each side. There are no doors between the family entertainment space, the dining and breakfast corner and the kitchen. Sliding glass doors separate the balcony from this central space. Only the grandparents’ room on the ground floor and the guest bedroom have have doors
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Architects Kaif and Bahaar Faqui |
“Visual connectivity is a quintessential urban design requirement. People constantly want to be in the thick of things and this does become a challenge when the space is very large, so we thought of demarcating the area with objects instead of dead walls,” says Kaif.
A powder room that adjoins the dining area, the staff quarters with a private stairway and a utility room are a part of the ground-floor plan. In fact, the ground level can act as a separate apartment, considering its various facilities. A wood-and-glass staircase and a private lift provide access to the first floor, which has two fully-equipped suites. The bathing spaces and walk-in wardrobes in the master suite are quite the last word in hedonistic comforts. |
Bedrooms for the children are luxurious too, and there is also a pantry area for that impromptu midnight party.
Even though the first level functions as a separate entity, the architects have ensured that it isn’t completely cut off from the main house. Both the master suite and the children’s suite look into the central hall. This ensures both visual connectivity and cross ventilation.
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