red brickwork encloses the courtyard of urban farm house in india

Court Fort by Compartment S4 – a living-working space in india

Multi-disciplinary design practice Compartment S4 constructs ‘Court Fort’, the living and working space for an urban farmer in India. The project aims to strike a dialogue between the built form and its farm-like surroundings disseminating knowledge related to urban farming and natural and organic farming techniques. Located on the outskirts of the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, the structure hosts seasonal workshops, film screenings, lectures, and seminars concerning the benefits of farming in urban spaces. The space comprises four major zones.

The first zone occupies over sixty percent of the plot in the east and composes the farming space. The second part forms a natural central pond held together by wild greens and complemented by the waterbody attached to the built volume in the east. The third part plants a dense verdure completing the ecosystem along with the other two areas, that invites various species of animals into the property. The fourth component forms the built space that presents a minimal footprint designed as a non-invasive structure coexisting with its surroundings. Organizing a c-shaped introverted frame, the brick-built fabric weaves a plan of the programmatic requirements enclosing a private courtyard in the south.

all images by Dhrupad Shukla

load-bearing exposed brick walls frame the structure

The courtyard forms a visual axis with the entrance in the north, dividing the main living-working space into a formal work-dining area in the west and a sitting lounge-meeting zone in the east. The layout, also, arranges a small kitchenette, a washroom, and a common toilet accessible from the courtyard. The bedroom develops as a relatively private space connected to the living area and the outdoor terrace.

The load-bearing exposed brick walls put up the main framework topped by a reinforced cement concrete pitch roof shielding the building. The internal walls are finished with lime highlighting the structural system. The red bricks and grey recycled slabs are chosen by the creative studio as the primary material, while wooden furniture and polished concrete flooring edged with black kadappa stone inlay complement the design. The ledge seating by the entrance and the bed are cast in situ, while the rest of the furniture is designed to be flexible and adaptable to various arrangements. Openings throughout the interior form a flow of circulation and visual continuity between the indoor and outdoor spaces. The northwest external corner of the structure carves a small amphitheater overlooking the farm dedicated to workshops and training sessions. The project promotes a minimal and natural living setting that combines functionality and aesthetics with an easy-to-maintain material palette.

the built structure coexists harmonically with the ecosystem on the site

the northwest external corner of the structure carves a small amphitheater overlooking the farm

the load-bearing exposed brick walls support the reinforced cement concrete pitch roof

the main living-working space overlooks the greenery

wooden furniture decorates the flexible interior

the ledge seating by the entrance is cast-in-situ

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the courtyard forms a visual axis with the entrance in the north, dividing the main living-working space

the indoor walls are finished with lime highlighting the structural system

the bedroom, accessed from the living zone, develops as a relatively private space

project info:

name: Court Fort
designer: Compartment S4 | @compartment_s4

location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

photography: Dhrupad Shukla | @dhrupadshukl

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom