Architecture cannot be seen in isolation. Habitable spaces need to be unique to their context, user and unsaid brief, simply as two humans are not similar. We believe every house should be crafted in response to this, to create originality and retain the unique character shaped by the place, people, and time.

House 20 X 22 is located in Nashik in a low rise and densely populated locality majorly consisting of row houses, due to the close proximity of houses, these constantly overlook into each other. The site sits along the North East corner of a cross junction formed along narrow streets, this corner has a tree and has always been a meeting place, a pause point for the colony.

In response to context and user, the brief derived was to achieve a house with inward looking private spaces with a possibility for them to expand into outside as and when required.

The project started with us looking for all the freedom inside a restrained margin that the house could offer as a habitable space to the users while still being a secured envelope. Due to the restricted size of the plot, the building took form of two storeyed house which appeared as a vertical built with disassociation to the scale that of the neighbouring houses.

Thus, came the use of marginal spaces with compound wall as an enveloping element. This organization of folding compound wall gave shape to multiple usable courts and the scale of built was able to break the verticality of building. The permissible built expanded towards these envelopes forming larger spaces inside both visually and physically which could be used for different activities as well.

Five envelopes are formed, the first envelope is placed on NE corner junction and is kept low in scale and it became the pause and a first place of interaction with the house. This space is shaded & surrounded by an existing tree and acts as a public courtyard for the house, a gathering space and also can be used for parking.

It leads you to the second envelope which is planned as the semi-public courtyard. The organization of this cuboid behaves as an extended entrance where the family and the guests can reside. The high walls of this court provide a sense of enclosures and forms an informal living area. The entrance of the house is scooped out from this courtyard which orients the user towards the interiors.

The Ground floor consists of living room, kitchen, dining and utility. The living Room is oriented towards the NW corner where it flows into the third envelope formed at the outermost edge. The scale of this envelope creates a visual barrier from the neighbouring house and allows wind and light to flow in smoothly.

All the services are kept in south-west as this become visual barrier due to the placement of neighbouring houses. Staircase is also planned in this corner which leads one to the bedrooms.

On the first floor, the bedrooms connect to outside by recessed standing balconies. Strategic placement of these vertical niches allow the upper floor to connect with the courts, family spaces and neighbourhood. This gesture of having a vertical opening has come from the wadas of Nashik, where the vertical windows allows for adequate intake of light and ventilation while maximising privacy indoors.

The formation of building appears as cubes interlocked while the finishing and ornamentation is kept minimal. The expression of the house is kept as multiple white walls with strategic folds which also expresses the inclusive nature of the Indian families.

The hierarchy of the Public, Semi-public and Private spaces; the idea of Open, Semi-open and Closed spaces, for different occasions, time periods and varying climate, all of these aspects of a house have been conceptualised in a tiny plot of 20×22 ft through interlocking cubes.