Garden Estate brings art, craft and architecture together

On 7 February 2025, The Architects Diary featured Garden Estate, a 60,000-square-foot residence in New Delhi. The publisher records a five-year process led by ZHCollective | Habitat Architects. Moreover, the publication examines how architecture, art and craft operate as one continuous composition. The house therefore moves beyond applied decoration and treats collecting, making and spatial planning as connected design decisions.

Two planning axes organise the residence

Two intersecting axes establish the home’s order. The central axis begins at the main courtyard and passes through a double-height atrium. It then extends towards a second courtyard, connecting interior rooms with landscape. Meanwhile, the crossing axis links the atrium to a sculptural staircase. Living areas occupy the brighter front, while private rooms sit discreetly behind.

Art gives each room an emotional register

Art gives different spaces distinct emotional registers. MF Husain’s works bring movement and colour to informal lounges and corridors. In contrast, Paresh Maity’s paintings shape formal rooms through references to India’s landscapes and cultural memory. Moreover, the collection remains integral to scale, colour and furniture placement. The residence consequently works as an inhabited gallery, not a neutral container.

Local craft meets global collecting

Local artisans made chandeliers from hand-blown glass and sourced metals. In addition, wood and brass furniture connects Indian craft traditions with contemporary comfort. Vintage curios introduce personal histories, while European furniture and French garden sculptures widen the cultural dialogue. Chandeliers by Baccarat and Saint-Louis add precise focal points. However, each global element sits within a distinctly Indian residential context.

Landscape extends the architectural composition

Trees frame the building and soften its edges against the garden. Furthermore, sliding glass doors connect the dining room and foyer with planted outdoor spaces. Seasonal light and shadow continually alter these relationships. The landscape therefore becomes an active architectural layer rather than a decorative boundary. This approach supports openness while preserving the residence’s formal balance.

Independent coverage and verified project context

The Architects Diary records the project’s design intent, team, consultants, materials and photography credit. Chhaya Prajapati authored the feature, while Anusha Sridhar contributed the editor’s note. Additionally, the publication provides independent proof of Garden Estate’s scale, location and design approach. Read the original feature for the publisher’s account. Then explore the verified project record by ZHCollective | Habitat Architects for further context.