Ar. Sumit Dhawan, who is known for his creative design has recently completed a 520 yds project in a dense area of Rajouri Garden, New Delhi, which is called “as The Centaurus”. This resplendent home manifests a rich yet contemporary theme, exhilarating surprise elements.
The exterior facet was defined to be intricate with an international regal charm. Bold façade outlined with a combination of material such as palette wood, stone & perforated aluminum screen was used.
The entrance is through a stilt floor, which has landscaping instead of typical car parking. With a double-height entrance lobby and a 5’ wide entrance door, the area gives a larger than life essence and a sense of intrigue just as you enter the house. An office with a serene white vibe is outlined here incorporating innovative furniture configurations arranged in a minimalistic style.
The ground floor on the left side of the staircase has a prepossessing lobby with a tantalizing openable timber ceiling fabricated with a seamless series of ribbed battens concealing all the services of the floor. The lobby stands between the dining area and the study. The dining area consists of a feature wall with vertical wooden panels on different levels and a vibrant lighting element with an array of globe pendants dangling over the center of the dining table.
The central strip courtyard is planned to allow an adequate amount of light and ventilation inside the house throughout the day. The living room on the right of the staircase is an astronomical corollary of grace. The central floating fireplace hanging from the ceiling is the prime intercept of this room. A semi-circular arrangement of globe lights is another eye-catching element in this room.
On the first floor, the lobby showcases low profile yet classy furniture. The turquoise blue décor piece on the wall creates an alluring juxtaposition with the rest of the subtle primary color scheme. This metal art piece is made of copper with oxidizing properties due to which the piece continues to change its color over a period of time.
The guest bedroom serves to be an epitome of class. With gold accents and an exclusive geometrical lighting installation dangling from the ceiling which forms to be the focal facet. The entire room is done with porcelain, which is a scratch-resistant and waterproof material, turning the room into a zero-maintenance space.
The kid’s room consists of a recessed area that acts as a study for the kids. The headwall is done in fabric padding which also serves for the acoustical regime of the space. The art installation on the headwall accentuates the aesthetics of the room and at the same time works as a source of dimmable light at night time for the kids. An interesting artwork done by the architect himself is displayed in the room to add a hint of colour, highlighting the age of the users.
The lobby on the second floor possesses a connotation of a pellucid view of the terrace garden on both sides through the glass façade. The master bedroom constitutes a suspended panel from the ceiling which acts as the TV unit while partially dividing the room into the bed area and the seating area. The overall design theme is kept subtle and white with clean lines to fascinate the client and his wife, invoking their simplicity through the schema of the space.
The basement while acquiring an entirely different look from the rest of the house demonstrates an industrial aura, forming a perfect air for partying. A prop installed here with numerous signboards with different city names inscribed bestows a sense of paragon to the seating area. Two sunken gardens incorporated here ensure ample ventilation and natural light for the smartly engineered gymnasium and the spa.
Passive strategies were introduced through the use of cavity walls with insulation material like vermiculite, thermal break fenestrations with high-performance dgu glass, monolithic spray puff on the terrace for insulation purposes, horizontal and vertical shading devices, and on-grid solar panels at terrace level. Also, the materials used in the façade were zero maintenance. Punched and perforated corten looking aluminum was incorporated to create a mess along with leather finish stone, bringing a clean contrast to the composition. Every toilet had private greens which gave a wider appearance to the toilets while allowing abundant natural light and ventilation.
This house has been built as a benchmark conducive to the experience and aesthetics of Luxury Residences. It’s a physical and an ideological retreat, an intergenerational home for gathering family and friends, celebrating and creating lasting memories.
Fact File:
Name of the project: The Centaurus
Architect Name: Ar. Sumit Dhawan
Architect Firm Name: City Spaces 82 Architects
Location: Rajouri Garden, New Delhi
Area: 12500 sq.ft.
Completion Date: May 2019
Project Type: Residence
