Courtyard bungalow, Baramati

The brief was deceptively simple: a G+1 with a central courtyard, two bedrooms upstairs, one bedroom downstairs for the parents, and a sit-out that opens into the courtyard. We worked the plan around the courtyard, not the other way around. The result is a home where every room sees the courtyard, the morning light reaches the kitchen, and the parents don't have to climb stairs to reach their room.

The structural design uses AAC blocks for the external walls (better thermal performance for Baramati's hot summers) and wire-cut brick for the internal. The roof is a standard RCC slab, with a sloping sheet roof over the courtyard for shade and rain protection. The plumbing is CPVC throughout, with a 1,000-litre overhead tank and a 5,000-litre underground sump - sized for a four-person family with a 4-day backup.

On handover, the family got a complete file: as-built drawings, material test certificates, electrical and plumbing test reports, manufacturer warranties, and a written 1-year defect-liability commitment.