Lloyds Gardens

Designed for a couple who are longtime friends of the designer, this Mumbai residence involved turning an apartment into a connected duplex. The principal architectural move was a new staircase, used to open up the home, improve its sense of volume and create stronger visual connections between the two levels.

Structure

As in many Mumbai apartments, the existing grid of beams and columns was a significant constraint. The staircase required the slab to be opened carefully within that grid, and the intervention was engineered so that the new connection between floors would not compromise the existing structure. Lightweight materials kept the additional load on the existing slabs to a minimum.

The staircase

The staircase became the defining element of the residence. Its geometry was developed to do more than connect two floors: it opens up a double-height volume that gives the home a vertical generosity its modest ceiling heights would otherwise deny. A study overlooks the stair, and bookshelves and other built elements around the volume turn what could have been a purely functional circulation space into the focal point of the home.

Working with a collection

The clients own an extensive collection of antique furniture sourced from different parts of India. Rather than replacing it with contemporary furniture, the design was developed around it, giving each piece the space and context to be appreciated. The task was to bring pieces from different periods and regions together into one cohesive contemporary home, where collected furniture, books, objects and architecture sit together naturally.

Making the most of the apartment

Low ceilings and small bedrooms were the other constraints. Living areas were opened up and given greater prominence, bedrooms were connected more closely to their surroundings, and bathrooms were designed to feel larger than their footprint. Each intervention was measured; together they make the apartment feel more spacious and more connected.

Character

The palette is warm and understated, leaving the clients' antiques and personal objects to carry much of the character. Rather than imposing a predetermined style, the architecture works as a framework for their collection and their way of living: a home shaped by the personalities, friendships and collected objects of the people who live in it.