Modern House Design | By Shahzad Brothers-Architects -2 kanal House in Karachi

Quadruplex 42 is one of Shahzad Brothers latest 1000 square-yard residential creations.Located in DHA’s topographically tranquil Phase VIII, the project shines brightly under Karachi’s eastern sun. Nestled along the edge of sector-B, it boasts a quintessential coastal position, willingly setting the stage, for the team to design a project enhanced by its attractive geographical context.

Adopting the architectural vocabulary from its locality and purpose, Quadruplex 42 is arranged with tectonic and anatomical fluidity. Detailed thresholds fused with deliberate structural perforations, akin to valves, dictate a dynamic of both easy circulation and also careful filtering.

Layering the private and public spaces was the intent, as the project is a mindful approach to solving a sub-continental challenge of harmonious yet independent living. By crafting functional and efficient units as well as proposing a communal and familial atmosphere, the plan is envisioned for four families to cohabit under one roof while retaining autonomous spaces that are self-sustainable and self-contained. The charmingly minimalistic project is comprised of a network of six bedrooms on the ground floor and five bedrooms on the upper floor, with each bedroom having its own attached bathroom.

Furthermore, each unit includes a separate powder room, kitchenette and individual entrance. The recreational spaces intended for collective use are located in the basement and a main gate acts as a central portal along the site boundary. In keeping with the orthogonal linearity, the naturally-lit stair case is the vertical spine anchoring the architectural body while the distinct rib-caged compartments breathe life into its entirety. Even though, theoretically, purity of form and defragmented gridding seem to be diametrically opposed, there is an underlying visual connectivity in the final outcome of the project due to the optical balance between the built and unbuilt spaces. Thus, tailored to the desires and needs of the residents with an emphasis on satisfying a social science of a contemporary ‘think global, act local’ mindset, the architecture of the project functions as a tool for the residents to cohabit efficiently and sustainably in a modern Pakistani joint-family living organism.