Year
-
Location
Gurugram
Type
Residential
Area
5477 sq. ft.
Services
-
A mindful restoration that preserves memory while embracing modern living
Amidst fast teardowns and rebuilds driven by global trends, the value of existing spaces is often overlooked. House of Continuity takes a different path—embracing restoration to meet modern needs while preserving memory and identity.
Set in a residential neighbourhood of Gurugram, the 20-year-old home had grown out of sync with the needs of its occupants. Spaces like the basement office and former bar had slipped into disuse, disconnected from the rhythms of daily life. The design response focused on reworking the layout, untangling the circulation, and reconfiguring the services to support contemporary living, without compromising the integrity of the structure.
The house is a ground-plus-two structure with an entertainment-focused basement, anchored by a reimagined vertical core formed by a light, fabricated staircase and capped by a skylight. Designed with structural sensitivity, the staircase connects all levels, drawing natural light deep into the home and turning vertical circulation into a luminous, spatial experience.
While the original shell remains, several structural and service upgrades were essential. Ageing systems were comprehensively overhauled, with high-performance automation introduced for lighting, HVAC, and shading. Structural interventions included strengthening existing columns and retaining the pitched roof as a nod to the home’s architectural language. Subtle upgrades ensured compliance with modern sustainability standards, including the installation of solar panels and the integration of efficient HVAC systems.
Jeetin Sharma
The living and dining areas on the ground floor are designed for interaction, while the upper levels feature private bedrooms, thoughtfully reoriented for better natural light and ventilation. Below, the once-dark basement now opens into a landscaped sunken courtyard, introducing fresh air, greenery, and a sense of openness that dissolves the typical basement gloom. Enlarged windows, staggered floor levels, and meticulously detailed transitions collectively prioritise light, air, and seamless movement, making the home functionally sound and spatially vibrant.
The interiors echo the project’s philosophy of adaptation and respect for the existing. Rather than reinventing, the design embraces the home’s original character, weaving traditional elements with understated contemporary touches. The palette is deliberately neutral and earthy, featuring soft beiges, warm greys, and natural tones, to create a calm backdrop that will age gracefully.
A defining move was the transformation of the basement into a livable, light-filled space through a landscaped sunken courtyard. This intervention redefined the lower level and established a connection to the outdoors. Across the site, greenery punctuates terraces, edges, and interiors, while lighting is carefully calibrated to support plant life, reinforcing the immersive relationship between the house and its landscape.
What makes this project resonate isn’t just its design intelligence but its defiance against erasure and against the impulse to constantly start anew. It recognises that architecture has memory, and that value lies as much in preservation as in transformation.
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