Residence 91 / Charged Voids

Architects: Charged Voids
Area: 8500 ft²
Year: 2021
Photographs: Niveditaa Gupta
Manufacturers: Grohe, ALCOI India Private Limited, Ambiance Furniture, Aquaint, Asian Paints, Bharat Bricks, Daikan, Gagan Handloom, MANISH, Osram, PANCHKULA, Rohit Sehgal
Lead Architects: Aman Aggarwal
Civil Engineers: Consort Builders
HVAC: AV Engineers
Design Team: Swati Agarwal, Akash Purshit, Dushyant Singh
Structural Engineer: Pankaj Nanda
Lighting Designers: Ruchika Singhal
Electrical: Rajinder Singh
Program / Use / Building Function: Residential
City: Chandigarh
Country: India

Residence 91 residential building designed by Charged Voids in Chandigarh, India has established a courtyard-centric home that supports multigenerational living within a dense urban context. Conceived as an inward-looking retreat, the residence responds to its site, which faces two major roads, by using patterned brick walls and controlled apertures to ensure privacy, acoustic insulation, and spatial calm. Structured around a central courtyard, the 7-bedroom home creates layered transitions between floors through vertical voids and dynamic outdoor extensions, ranging from a sunken court to jacuzzis and roof terraces. Regional construction methods using locally sourced brick in a modified rat-trap bond support thermal comfort and reduce external noise, while selective window placement frames tree lines, religious landmarks, and distant hills. Through a sensitive articulation of light, material, and shared space, the project fosters familial cohesion while maintaining environmental responsiveness and spatial introspection.

Patterned brick walls define an inward-focused retreat designed for a multigenerational family in this Chandigarh residence. Situated on a plot bordered by a busy sector road on one side and an arterial road on the other, Residence 91 by Charged Voids accommodates a nine-member family across three generations. The client sought a modest, contemplative sanctuary—a sacred space centered on wellness, tranquility, and joy. The architectural response embraces this vision by emphasizing natural elements and employing a thoughtful interplay of light, materiality, and the warmth of family life.

Due to its busy urban setting, the project is conceived as an inward-oriented residence, incorporating carefully designed recesses that provide both privacy and noise reduction. The spatial volumes throughout the home are connected through internal voids, reflecting the cultural tradition of fostering strong intergenerational bonds within large Indian families.

The layout of the seven-bedroom residence is organized around a central courtyard. Common areas on each level open directly onto this courtyard, reinterpreting the traditional verandah and evoking the homeowner’s memories of celebrating family life in the aangan. The ground floor contains the public spaces, including the living and dining areas, a double-height kitchen with a lightwell, a separate spice kitchen, and a bedroom for the elderly parents. The first floor includes bedrooms for the younger couple and their child, as well as a family lounge and kitchen. The second floor accommodates three additional bedrooms, each with its own private outdoor recreational space, while the basement is designated for gatherings and features a lounge, entertainment area, and guest bedroom.

The courtyard evolves into a sunken court at the basement level, introducing vertical shifts that establish spatial connections with the upper floors and bring greenery into the interior. On the ground floor, it functions as a semi-covered verandah featuring a water element that extends from the living room. On the second and third floors, it expands into an outdoor jacuzzi, covered terraces, and garden spaces. These volumetric extensions across different levels create dynamic transitional zones that balance openness while supporting more meaningful interactions between the older and younger generations within the family.

The exterior openings, particularly on the upper floors, are strategically placed to puncture the facade in a way that ensures both visual and acoustic privacy. The views framed by these openings were carefully considered rather than left to chance. Windows on the first floor are aligned with the treetops surrounding the home, while other punctures in the cuboidal form frame the nearby Gurudwara and distant hills. Larger openings are oriented to the north, and smaller ones face south. In addition, deep verandahs complement these openings to help reduce the home’s cooling demands.

Composite RCC and locally sourced brick were used in the construction of the home, with a focus on regional building techniques. The exposed brickwork is arranged in an improvised rat-trap bond, forming cavity walls that provide thermal insulation and help reduce traffic noise. This traditional bond was adapted by repositioning individual brick units, creating rhythmic patterns across the facades.

The incorporation of controlled apertures in the building envelope, along with generous internal open spaces, enables Residence 91 to explore the flexibility of the courtyard and the evolving interaction between occupants and the outdoors. The inward-focused design seeks to strengthen family bonds, while the exterior presents a subtle contrast to its surrounding urban context.