#niels schoenfelder

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Rudrapada Estate, Poolathur, Tamil Nadu, India,

Niels Schoenfelder of Mancini Enterprises

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Why architect Neils Schoenfelder should be your inspiration for modern home designs

Niels Schoenfelder, the owner of Mancini Enterprises, is best known for his architectural creations. His works are also the recipient of the Asia Pacific Property Awards in 2013 and the Trends/Haefele Awards in 2015. But while his professional projects may be award winning, it is his personal weekend getaway home that really captures your eye. He informally refers to this home as ‘S8’ where the S stands for the names of the owners with the 8 reflecting its 8-metre cube design.

Located over 150 kilometers away from the south of the city, near the former French colony of Puducherry, this home is the perfect getaway that contrasts the bustling industrial city scape of Chennai, his city home.

But what makes this home a unique one? It may seem like a mini fort, but it is the overall modern interior design ideas blended with the local flavour that makes it unique. Here are a few features of the home that makes it stand out:

·  Convenient and simple ventilation: Chennai and Puducherry are both known for their hot and humid weather. But the design of the house ensures that natural ventilation occurs. It is open at both ends, so the air gets circulated throughout the home continuously. This benefits the home, especially since the plenty of breeze from the sea, located a few hundred metres away wafts in. Additionally, the windows in the north and south are hinged in such a manner, that they catch the breeze and funnel it directly into the rooms.

·  The location of the rooms reflects the unique modern interior design ideas. For one, the living room is located upstairs, whereas the bedrooms are located on the ground floor.

·  The home exudes an unconventional but rugged simplicity, unlike most of the modern architectural creation. The house focuses closely on the merits of sustainable living, which is the need of the day. Each element or material used it the construction of the home is used to reflect this principal.

· Niels Schoenfelder has always felt strongly about the need to be reliant on local material and labour. This house stands as a testimony to his belief. Everything from the handmade furniture to the hand polished concrete floors have to be sourced from the local markets. Even the slate used on the counter tops and other areas of the floor have been sourced locally. The thick walls that encompass the small rooms are made out of clay bricks that are covered with lime plaster. The finish on the wall creates an uneven surface that is cool to the touch. Even the staircase to the mezzanine is built organically into the walls. Any wood used in the construction, such as the window frames, was reclaimed from older buildings, reflecting an unmistakable sign of daily wear and tear and a unique character.