Serving as both a private house and a public exhibition and cultural space, the building expresses the clients’ commitment to green design. Innovative features include a downdraft vertical shaft (‘wind chimney’) to provide cooling. The shallow floor plan, combined with openings at both sides of the gallery areas, allows natural cross-ventilation. Bathrooms have voids to the sky with louvres overhead, offering an ‘open-air’ showering experience. Openings and windows are protected from intense solar radiation by sun shades or concrete hoods. A turf ramp from the first-floor balcony to ground level creates a direct connection between interior and exterior. The landscaping incorporates indigenous vegetation and principles of low water consumption.

Source: Aga Khan Trust for Culture