In Valsad, Gujarat, Studio Lagom has reworked a large family house into a renovated residence that holds onto the past without getting stuck in it. The home, once made up of 22 rooms, was reshaped to improve how spaces connect, and to support an inclusive, barrier-free layout.
The updated footprint forms a C-shape, pulling a courtyard deep into the site to bring natural light and ventilation into the plan. The building is split into two sections, with a new workplace positioned in front and the residence set behind it. That separation keeps work and home functions distinct while still letting the overall architecture read as one composition.
The masonry story is central. The architects used load-bearing brick architecture in response to a preference for exposed masonry, and contrasted it with concrete, glass, and wood for a mix of permeable and impermeable surfaces. A two-story workplace is tied together by a spiral staircase, and wrapped in what the architects describe as a “dancing brick shell,” a porous brick layer that supports airflow across both the office and the residence.
On the exterior, teak slats and creeping vines add another screen-like layer, while inside, the renovation leans into reuse. Timber treads from the original staircase appear again within new concrete flights, and wood shutters and cabinets combine salvaged pieces with additional materials. A long-standing well was also retained, sitting at the courtyard’s corner as a fixed point between landscape and built form.
For mason contractors watching design trends, the project is a clear example of how exposed brickwork, brick screens, and stone finishes can do more than add texture. Here, the brick walls, kota stone, and timber interiors are treated as the everyday surfaces residents live with, and the masonry is asked to carry both structural and visual weight.
Read the full, original article from STIRworld here.