House of Voids: A Sculptural Home in the Heart of the City

In the dense urban fabric of Vijayawada, a city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, House of Voids by Studio Urban Form + Objects is a bold reinterpretation of urban Indian dwelling. Designed for a multigenerational family, this residence turns the limitations of its narrow plot—constrained by tight setbacks and Vastu principles—into an opportunity for spatial innovation.

At the core of the project lies a simple yet powerful concept: subtraction. Instead of maximising built-up area, the architects carved a sequence of open-to-sky voids into the building’s core. These vertical courtyards, guided by Vastu principles, act as both spatial and climatic devices, drawing in daylight, channelling airflow, and establishing a visual and functional dialogue between different levels. The result is a house defined not by what is built, but by what is left open.

House of Voids: Architecture by Subtraction

These voids become the emotional and communal anchor of the family household. In their layered terraces, pickles dry in the sun, children play, and breezes drift through in the evenings. Even the local wildlife interacts with this openness: "The house has occasional visits by curious monkeys navigating between the walls", recall Prachi Parekh and Vineet Vora, co-founders of Studio Urban Form + Objects.

Unlike typical urban homes shielded by high compound walls, House of Voids engages directly with its surroundings. Its entrance folds inward from the street, creating a subtle gradient between public and private space.

A concealed plinth channels rainwater away, quietly integrating environmental performance into the building’s form and enhancing the pedestrian experience at street level. This sense of openness, of permeability carefully measured, defines how the building meets its context.

A Dialogue between Material and Light

Materially, the house stands apart from its colourful context. Clad in dark grey granite, its façade evokes a sculptural restraint that balances Vaastu’s restrictions on black tones with a modern aesthetic minimalism. Custom dry-cladding systems allow the façade to project and chamfer, generating depth and shadow that shift throughout the day. Vertical wooden fins soften the stone mass, adding texture, warmth, and rhythm to the exterior.

Through its choreography of solid and void, light and shadow, House of Voids is an architectural statement on how tradition can coexist with innovation. It demonstrates that Vaastu-compliant design need not constrain creativity, but can instead inspire new spatial possibilities. Rising like a contemplative monolith amid the city’s density, House of Voids offers a blueprint for the future of domestic architecture in India: introspective, responsive, and profoundly human.

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