Our experienced designers will help you create personalized homes anytime, anywhere. Book a 3D design consultation
- Design Services
- Shop
![]()
Chandeliers for every budget
- Magazine
- Stores
Design
Living
Lifestyle
Home Décor Ideas
Shopping
A home in New Delhi that makes a solid case for courtyards in city life
Click Here for a 3D design consultation with our interior designers!
Thank You!
Our team will be in touch shortly to book your appointment.
Have a lovely day!
Failure
On the outside it’s a windowless monolith but within, Anagram Architects has created a bright and airy home with a courtyard—perfect for a joint family in an urban setting
How to live in a house that is open to the elements in New Delhi
The Anagram Architects office calls it the Cleft House—a name it earned from its indented shape which is the result of varied floor plans across four levels—but I would much rather call it The Introvert. It’s not the three levels of security our team had to clear to gain access to this residence in north Delhi, but its windowless façade that makes it seem like a brooding, introverted character. “In a typical house in Delhi you have large windows in the front or balconies, but [this plot] didn’t have a good view, and there’s too much noise and dust. Also, the client was very particular about his privacy,” explains Vaibhav Dimri, principal architect at Anagram and the one heading this project.
With all the natural elements blocked out from the front, Dimri created a courtyard at the heart of the house to ensure light and air circulation. “The courtyard typology works really well here not just because there is no view, but also with the climate. A typical courtyard house reduces the number of surfaces where the heat gain can happen. But we tweaked it a little and created an urban conditioned space. We covered this courtyard on top and made it rain sheltered; the wind can flow through, since the structure is open from the front and back. A large evaporative cooler throws in conditioned cool air, but doesn't consume a lot of energy.” With four levels stacked on top of it, this really looks like a contemporary interpretation of a courtyard. Guests love it, says Priya Kumar, the lady of the house. They think “it looks like a hotel, since there is a glass lift and balconies.” Having said that, the swirling staircase is a dramatic architectural component that immediately catches your eye when you enter this home.
WHY ANAGRAM ARCHITECTS CALLS THIS CLEFT HOUSE
Standing on the ground floor, looking up at this rather tall courtyard, one can see why the architects named this project Cleft House. The two floors in the middle jut out into the courtyard, creating the impression of a dent. These floors—the first and the second—house the private living quarters of the Kumar family. And to maximise the square footage available here for the bedrooms and lounges, they were made to extend out into the courtyard.
The exterior of the Cleft House—finished in white and black Indian marble—has a gap in the middle, to which it owes its name.
Then there is the metaphorical implication of the project name. “In an urban scheme of row houses, this actually makes a dent,” says Dimri. Priya’s husband Munit was very clear about what he wanted as his joint family home; the brief was “build something I have not seen before”. Did the architect deliver, I ask Munit? “People are amazed to see this house, they want to see it again and again.” That is a ‘yes’ then.
This is the second in the two-part series on the Cleft House. In the first part we see how the family of six uses the seven-floor building.
Vaibhav Dimri, principal architect at Anagram and the one heading the Cleft House project.
The walls in the screening room on the first floor have linear lights from Vizion Lighting.
The kitchen is from by Euromobil Italy.
The central courtyard sports epay wood decking. The evaporative cooler is concealed within vertical epay panels and helps cool this space which is open to the elements from the front and the back of the house.
The furniture in the living room is from Désirée, Italy. The flooring has been done in statuario marble.
The spiral staircase has a wooden railing with white high gloss paint on the outside and veneer on the inside. The steps are made of marble.
The furniture in the dining room is from Désirée. The flooring has been done in statuario marble.
The chandelier that runs through the spiral staircase is from Jainsons Emporio.
The master bedroom on the first floor, as viewed from the spiral staircase.
Beautiful Homes Service: an end-to-end interior design solution
Fill out this form and our Customer Experience Specialist will reach out to you.
Next up…
In this Delhi home, clever design allows a joint family both private and shared spaces
In our series, The Way We Live, featuring homes, people and the way private residences are created, we visit Cleft House. Designed by Anagram Architects this one-family building has a pool, courtyard and terrace garden. In the first part we see how the family of six uses the seven-floor building
Buddhadev Mangaldas and KL Rahul’s 7,000 sqft Villa Milana is a pure white haven
Tall ceilings, local architectural features, antique elements and an understated elegance define the interiors of Villa Milana designed by Ritu Nanda for Gao Properties.
Bomti Iyengar’s art gallery-like home in Kolkata
Bomti makes full use of the double height, 1901 construction, filling up all his walls with his favourite art – oil, water, ceramic. If you ever needed inspiration on how to live with art, this home is all you need to see
An art-filled South Mumbai apartment
The eclectic décor of Srila Chatterjee’s stunning Mumbai apartment is the best source of desing inspiration. Come take a look!
Other topics we’re covering
We can help you build the space you desire
If you wish to avail our design services, please provide the details mentioned below. An executive will reach out to you within 24 hours.
Thank you for your interest. Our executive will reach out to you on your registered mobile number .
Let’s begin designing your dream home - we’ve got you covered every step of the way!
Thank you for your interest. Our executive will reach out to you on your registered mobile number .
Let’s begin designing your dream home - we’ve got you covered every step of the way!
Oops! Page Not Found
The page you are looking for might have been removed, had its name changed or its temporary unavailable.
