Vice-Chancellor & Registrar House Gujarat Vidhyapeeth Ahmedabad, 2012

Gujarat Vidhyapeeth is one of the few surviving educational centres dedicated to the Gandhian philosophy. It is situated on a large piece of land with abundant greenery, surrounded by the sprawling city of Ahmedabad. The brief was to design houses for the vice-chancellor and registrar: modest in requirements, set among trees, minimal in cost and low in technology. The brief also requested a ‘Gandhian style’.

The C-shaped plan ensures light and ventilation and provides a rear courtyard around which the living areas are grouped.

An existing tree on the site was retained and incorporated as part of the verandah. Columns supporting the tiled sloped roof emerge directly from the ground instead of being placed on a plinth or on the verandah. To bring in light from the north, the roof is elevated at the center of the house. Windows are full-height; services are centralized; and the semi-open rear courtyard of the C-shaped plan is the living space.