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Left: massing model of the as-built design — use the toolbar to download it (OBJ or GLB) and open in SketchUp via import. Right: south elevation at handover.
A duplex built around family life
The Shrestha family came to us with a 5 aana plot in Bhaisepati and a clear brief: a home for three generations, with private space for grandparents on the ground floor and an open, light-filled living area for the rest of the family.
The design answers with a 2.5-storey duplex. The ground floor holds the grandparents' suite, kitchen, and a double-height living space; the first floor carries three bedrooms behind a terracotta brick accent block, with a glass-railed balcony over the entrance porch. The half storey covers the staircase and opens onto a full roof terrace used for drying, gardening, and evening gatherings.
Structurally, the house is an RCC frame with ductile seismic detailing — soil-tested footings, M25 concrete, and Fe500D rebar throughout. The site sits on the Bhaisepati plateau, and the structure was designed for it, not copied from a catalogue drawing.
The build ran 14 months on a fixed quote, from Naksha Pass to handover, with weekly site reports to the family — including a son working in Australia who followed every pour from abroad.
Materials & construction
- Foundation
- Isolated footings on compacted subgrade, soil-tested to 150 kN/m²
- Structure
- M25 concrete, Fe500D TMT rebar with ductile detailing at joints
- Walls
- First-class brick in cement mortar; terracotta-faced accent block
- Roofing
- Accessible flat terrace with heat-reflective screed; slate over stair tower
- Windows
- UPVC frames, 5mm clear glazing; glass balustrade at balcony
- Finishes
- Ivory exterior render, teak entrance door, granite porch steps