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Custodian of Green | Chic Gujarat home by Sanjay Puri Architects

November 17, 2025
by Aisha Capulong

This striking home by Sanjay Puri Architects peacefully coexists with its natural surroundings, having been built around the plot of land's nine subsisting trees

Delight comes in waves at Nine x Nine, a contemporary bungalow originated from the minds of lead architects Ar. Sanjay Puri and Ar. Nina Puri of Mumbai-based studio, Sanjay Puri Architects. As one traverses into the plot of land, segments of the home gradually reveal itself from behind the trees that ‘guard’ the dwelling.

Video: Vinay Panjwani

With all rooms formed towards the north garden, the home not only allows its residents a stunning view no matter where they are within the bungalow; the thoughtful layout also simulates Sanjay Puri Architects’ case solution for Gujarat’s hot climate. Sheltered open-air terraces can be accessed from every space within Nine x Nine, and despite the considerable amounts of natural light the home welcomes, all windows, portals and glass walls are set inwards by these large balcony-esque zones. A brisk and natural cool is hence maintained indoors.

Photo: Vinay Panjwani

What’s more, the cantilevered decks double as cover for the stretches that exist below it. This purposeful duality can be seen in application across the entire home; each little detail carries with it a whole dimension of practicality. Nine x Nine impressively takes a T-shape in both plan and section, with a central spiral stairway acting as the home’s ‘backbone’. The alluring staircase is kept bright and airy through the use of a skylight high above paired with a glass-backed ‘open’ irregular lattice along the handrails.

Photo: Vinay Panjwani

The main entrance leads into the home’s principal floor, with one level above and a level below that unfolds into a ‘sunken’ courtyard. Linking the ground level garden to the subterranean patio is a flight of open-riser stairs made to appear as if floating above greenery. Nearby, a waterfall is strategically placed as a means of passive cooling for the recessed courtyard that contains six of the site’s enduring trees.

Photo: Vinay Panjwani

Speaking of which, the team at Sanjay Puri Architects worked to preserve the site’s trees by ‘cutting out’ crevices in the bungalow to make way for the precious trunks and branches. The carved out chasms then extend across all three levels of Nine x Nine to hold space for the greenery, and can be seen primarily at the cantilevered terraces.

Photo: Vinay Panjwani

Outside the main foyer area, a reflective pool acts as both visual attraction and heat dissipator for Nine x Nine’s residents and visitors. On the principal level are spaces like the living room, kitchen, dining room and guest room, while the upper level accommodates the family. Working our way below ground, a modest art gallery holding the client’s private collection stands adjacent to other entertainment areas of the home. The rooftop level, left to minimalism, serves as a no-frills vantage point for Gujarat’s charming sunsets.

Photo: Vinay Panjwani

Oriented with energy efficiency at the forefront, Nine x Nine is equipped to harvest rainwater and recycle water along with its passive cooling structures. Through Sanjay Puri Architects’ astute craft, the home beautifully fuses with its landscape and occurs in sync with the climate that surrounds it.

Photo: Vinay Panjwani

Project details

Location | Gandhinagar, Gujrat, India
Start date | May 2021
Completion date | January 2025
Gross floor area | 1,672 sqm
Plot area | 3,311 sqm
Architect | Sanjay Puri Architects
Lead architect | Ar. Sanjay Puri, Ar. Nina Puri
Design team | Ar. Ayesha Puri, Nilesh Patel
Interior design consultant | Sanjay Puri Architects
Structure consultant | Sarjan Consultants
Landscape design | Studio 2+2 (Mr. Shivans Singh)
MEP consultants | Maheshwari Consultants

Suppliers
Windows | Torfenster Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Paint | ICA Pidilite, Asian Paints
Bathroom fixtures | Hans Grohe
Kitchen fittings | Poliform
Furniture | Defurn
Marble | RK Marbles
Veneer | Space One Veneers
Lights | Lafit Lighting

Contractors
Carpentry | Design Works Studio (Mr. Kailash)
Painting | Bharat Paint Works

Photo: Vinay Panjwani
Photo: Vinay Panjwani

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