Shreya Krishnan, founder of Shreya Krishnan Design, was posed with a unique challenge in designing this apartment – of maximising ventilation and sunlight while shutting out Delhi’s extreme temperatures and deplorable air quality. “The client wanted a space that was light, open and airy – filled with foliage and inspired by nature – in the heart of South Delhi. They asked that the apartment be armed with the flexibility of adapting to various weather conditions – all within a reasonable budget and with locally available materials,” recalls Krishnan.

The brief led Krishnan to design a floor plan with a central courtyard, with a bedroom on the left and a living room on the right. “To weave a sense of seamlessness, we crafted 8-foot-high glass folding doors on either side, to make the courtyard completely permeable to the bedroom and living space, and to further the impression of space and light,” she says. The design of the courtyard was rooted in South Delhi’s fast-dying barsati tradition – the concept of a small rooftop room or sit-out in an old-style row house.

The home’s main entrance is positioned to the north of the courtyard (behind the camera).

The courtyard is a partially shaded 10x10 foot space that receives enough light to support greenery. Painted in soft grey, the walls effectively reflect the sunlight that pours in.

“We added sturdy outdoor chairs for quiet, idyllic mornings in the early sunlight and night-time parties under the stars. The courtyard allows one to be transported away from the sounds and frenzy of the street below by means of greenery, heritage tiles and natural materials, such as solid teak wood for the sliding doors on either side,” says Krishnan.

While the door and window frames are made of teak, the door shutters are crafted from plywood and finished with a walnut veneer. The deep wood tones provide an earthy backdrop for the pocket of lush foliage juxtaposed against the wall. The flooring exudes an old-world feel, thanks to the heritage-patterned, hand-polished cement tile floor.

The east side of the courtyard opens to the home’s living room, a long, rectangular space bathed in light-kissed layers of white.

“The living room is dominated by windows, resulting in a sense of space and light well beyond the actual size of the room. Also, the client wanted the courtyard to flow into the living room. We achieved this by installing tall concertina doors to allow the option of creating a single, seamless space.” says Krishnan.

A little further along, the living room merges into the dining room, with the only distinguishable difference between the two zones being the change of flooring – from polished wood panels to familiar heritage tile. The recurrence of the soft grey, old-world pattern draws indoors the look of the courtyard, lending a breezy air to the space.