Akshay Kaul

We were interested in this project because it would have given us to reinterpret colonial landscape in contemporary era. This is a project in Civil Lines part of Delhi - A project for three owners on the same lot. Two were our clients - Uncle and Nephew and the other was the house at the rear. So we did a joint presentation as landscape architects and the architects were Urbanscape - Dinesh Panwar - Delhi. However, it was not easy for the clients to appreciate what we were trying to propose a landscape that would be without boundaries yet would define space. Half way through the project the Uncle and Nephew fell apart and we restricted ourselves to the Nephew - A wall was drawn and the garden became an enclosed garden. We went ahead and did the residence 1. The planting is not our typical planting - the client made changes and some 'popular plants' were introduced that are typically not part of our landscape design. So the landscape is looking 'amazing', 'inspiring', 'good stuff' - however, what you don't see - is that there is a reason behind each element in the design that serves as an environmental function as well... As you enter the gate is a water fall....and a screen of plants that separates the garden and the outside world. The sound of water directs the people towards the pathway leading to the house - you pause here and then turn to see a sculpture - sitting there waiting for you. As you walk along the sound of overflow from the pool accompanies you to the house. The stone lattice screens the pool from the walkway yet the lattice teases you to find out what is behind. The screens, pathway, light lanterns are all in sand stone.The pergola on top shade the walkway and the angle of the top louvers have been designed so that the adjoining house can't look into the pool from top. As you would expect from us by now each drop of water is harvested by recharging into the ground not as recharge pits but as landscape elements....So the depression around the tree is just another function where the environment, aesthetics function and simplicity meet. Photo Credits: Architects - Urbanscape - Dinesh Panwar - Delhi. Pool Vendor - Premier Landscape and Pool - Raj Nayak