Freedom from walls

AHMEDABAD: Bound within the limits of walls, is the conventional idea of a home. And defying this, Ashok Purohit, a city-based multiplex owner, has built his house as fragments - scattered around a huge lawn - breaking spaces out of the 'four' walls of a home. The house is constructed within the premises of his multiplex.
"The idea sounded uncanny even to my family," says Purohit, who is a recently retired architect."However, this would be my retirement home, so I wanted it 'very' close to my new workplace."
Though there are multiple entry points to the house - which has six drawing rooms distributed around the complex - the main entry is through the front lawns. "The glass room on the front lawns is my favourite room to receive friends and hold small parties," says Purohit. "It doesn't disturb the domesticity of my inner quarters."
The inner quarters - kitchen, dining, a luxurious bedroom and a formal drawing room - happens to be built under the auditorium of the multiplex. A pavilion-like structure occupies the farthest corner of the lawns. Within a water pool with fountains, is an open mandapa, beside two identical rooms. "Inspired by Saheliyo ki badi, I built this structure during my daughter's wedding," says Purohit. "Now it has been redone with two bedrooms, for my daughters who often come to stay with me."
Each new addition was put in place according to a new need. When Purohit's grandchildren insisted on having a tree house, Purohit built his latest addition - a wooden cabin around the trees on stilts. There is a constant flow of visiting artists into Purohit's house. For them, guest rooms have been incorporated within the multiplex itself, along with some work or practice spaces and lounge areas, which are all connected through a labyrinth of passages. For artists seeking solitude, Purohit has built studio spaces under the amphitheatre, hidden behind blades of the tall lilies and bougainvilleas.
Currently, Purohit is constructing his seventh addition - a sculptural studio with another open-air 'drawing room'. "I want to welcome my guests at seven different places on each day of the week," says Purohit. Other than luxury and extravaganza, the house is a demonstration of how 'growing' is inevitable to space making. Moreover, the house celebrates Purohit's free spirit and his taste for fine living.
The Aha Moment!
Two sides of the lounge have 7 feet tall built-in aquariums, in which innumerable fish swim amid the soft ripples of water. The lounge also has complementary mirrors and recalls an extravagant Bollywood set. This is where Purohit, who is fond of music and art, treats his guest artists.