ALEEYA. design studio has completed The Architect’s Home. Located in an upscale neighborhood of Karachi, The Architect’s Home is situated on a southwest facing 2,000 square yards lot measuring 116’-6”wide by 149’-9” deep. In a city like Karachi, cultural norms and traditional values somewhat dictate the design of homes, but in this case, the architect was keen to introduce a new aesthetic to her hometown. 

Unlike the design of other houses on the street, the facade consists of slanting protruding masses cladded with French crema limestone with 7’-0” wide by 8’-0” high windows embedded in between, creating a heavy exterior structure. This provides a level of privacy from the street and aptly conceals a 95-foot-long driveway inside the boundary wall and main gate. The idea was to screen a large, spacious, and light-filled space of living behind an all-imposing concrete structure echoing a Swiss facade.

Providing two entrances to the home, one experiences distinct atmospheres - the calm, silent pool patio giving way through a large glass pivot door; the other a 16’-0” wide by 16’-0” deep double height entrance foyer under a 16’-0” wide by 28’-0” long skylight behind a heavy 9-foot mahogany wood double door, which immediately floods the center of the house with ever-transforming light from sunrise to sunset. The careful placement of all window openings invites the warm Karachi sun to strike through the house directly hitting structural elements and the soft materials within.

It is a common misconception that complex edges and unique curves give structures life. Nature and light can unravel feelings and create atmospheres that awaken our senses. Through the simplest form, the most beautiful experience can emerge.The structure of this house was designed with this thought in mind, with the intentionally large circulation spaces that create a meaningful flow throughout the house, which initiates movement within. The Architect’s Home reveals the soul of the Architect, creating a space that is in constant evolution as the seasons change.