In a Home in Rajasthan, A Windowless Facade Lights Up the Whole Village
Studio Urban Form + Objects has designed a new ancestral residence for a multigenerational family, addressing concerns of privacy and security while maintaining a dialogue with the facing village square
When an entrepreneur in Jodhpur approached Mumbai-based architects Studio Urban Form + Objects (UF+O) to design a home in their ancestral village of Rewatra in Rajasthan, the brief was shaped as much by memory as by necessity. ‘They were worried that while they visit often for festivals and weddings, the next generation of family members might not return and would start to lose their connection with their roots,’ says UF+O co-founder Prachi Parekh Vora.
Today, the village of fewer than 10,000 people is sparsely occupied, with many homes locked up as families have moved to larger cities in pursuit of business opportunities and more aspirational lifestyles. ‘Most youngsters don’t find the village exciting or comfortable, as traditional homes don’t offer the amenities or privacy they’re now used to. So our design for our client’s new home had to be both welcoming for a multigenerational family and responsive to its context,’ Parekh explains.
Set on a narrow plot measuring roughly 24 by nine metres, with shared boundaries on three sides, the home faces the village’s primary square: a lively social node that hosts a Jain temple, wedding processions and community gatherings. UF+O initially explored the idea of a central courtyard — a staple of the region’s vernacular homes which, along with a strong spatial hierarchy, helps mediate the hot, dry climate. They soon realised it wouldn’t function effectively on such a tight footprint.
Instead, the typical courtyard planning was reimagined as two open-to-sky linear spines running along the sides of the plot, protected by high walls for privacy and shading. These elongated voids bring generous daylight and natural ventilation into the adjoining rooms, reducing reliance on mechanical systems in an area that faces frequent power shortages.
Beyond climatic considerations, the architects had to safeguard the house against robberies and vandalism, as it remains under lock and key when the family is away. ‘In our discussions with the client, we realised that safety was a real concern, so we couldn’t have a home with windows looking out to the street,’ says UF+O co-founder Vineet J Vora. ‘And yet, we wanted to maintain a visual link to the village square. Our solution was a wall of glass bricks at the front — a first for Rewatra.’
From the outside, the home presents a monolithic face, its neutral tiled facade requiring minimal maintenance during the long stretches the family is away. But on evenings when the family is visiting, the glass emits a soft glow onto the street front, signalling that the home is occupied without revealing the living room behind it — cueing neighbours and well-wishers to drop by and returning a flicker of life to the square.
Text by Rupal Rathore
Images by Niveditaa Gupta
