Before & After: Trees Grow Right Through the Roof of This Revived Farmhouse in India
The founders of the firm D’Well turn a crumbling dwelling into a serene architecture studio where nature takes center stage.
The founders of the firm D’Well turn a crumbling dwelling into a serene architecture studio where nature takes center stage.
During India’s monsoon season, there’s one desk in the office of the architecture studio D’Well where you can feel a light rain drift down beside you while you work. For firm founders Jhanvi Mehta Shah and Rakshit Shah, that was the point.
The canopy of a custard apple tree grows through the roof to offer a fair amount of protection from any drips. "The rain doesn't pour in," says Jhanvi. "You see the water, but it doesn’t flood the space." The result is an immersive experience that brings the elements into the core of the building. "We really believe that the most dynamic thing to have in your space is nature," says Jhanvi.
Jhanvi and Rakshit are life and work partners who started their firm after getting married about five years ago. In 2022, they were looking for a new office in their home city of Surat, in the state of Gujarat, India, and it was important to both of them for it to be ground level, which is a rarity when so many offices are set in commercial complexes and high-rises.
They drove by this lot one day, in a less-developed area only minutes from the city center and stopped to take a look. "We really wanted some land that had trees, and this had a lot of fruit trees and neem trees that give good shade," says Jhanvi. Amidst the trees was a rundown farmer’s house slated for demolition. "The owner wanted to demolish this house because he did not think that it could be converted into something," Jhanvi explains.
Before: Exterior Front
Before: In 2022, Jhanvi Mehta Shah and Rakshit Shah bought this dilapidated, decades-old farmer’s house in Surat, India and set about converting it into the headquarters of their architecture office. "This is a very humble architecture that is common with the farmers, where it is self-built," says Jhanvi.
Courtesy of D’Well
After: Exterior Front
The couple, who cofounded the firm D’Well, kept the existing roof and carved out a covered porch beneath it at the front of the building. They added more office space on the margins of the building, which allowed them to incorporate the existing trees.
Dhrupad Shukla
The pair decided to purchase the property and renovate the house by keeping the bones of the structure—including the walls, dramatically sloping roof, and arched windows—and adding to it gently while preserving its connection to nature. With a total of ten employees to consider, Jhanvi and Rakshit envisioned a medley of desks and open workspaces inside, as well as gathering spots outside, under the cover of the front porch and in the surrounding courtyard.
Before: Exterior Side
Before: The home is in a less developed area very close to the city center. "It’s only three minutes away from where I stay in the city," says Jhanvi.
Courtesy of D’Well
See the full story on Dwell.com: Before & After: Trees Grow Right Through the Roof of This Revived Farmhouse in India
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