Judges’ Enclave, Gardanibagh

Judges' Enclave at Gardanibagh is a residential enclave for members of the judiciary, on a 14.5-acre site along Khagaul Road in Patna, for the Building Construction Department, Government of Bihar. The brief asked for privacy and calm. The plan answers with low density and a great deal of green.

Twenty plots, one park

The Master Plan holds only 20 bungalow plots, each of 1,600 square metres. The residences are arranged around a central park and landscaped open space, so the households share a common green while each keeps its own ground. Every bungalow has a front lawn of the same form, which gives the streets an even rhythm. Internal roads are 12 metres wide, and green buffers give privacy and let air move through the site. A children's play area sits within thick planting that screens it from its surroundings.

A quiet threshold

Access is through a dedicated main gateway, and the security arrangements are folded into the landscape, so the enclave feels protected without feeling closed in. Near the entrance is a club house with a swimming pool, where residents and their families can meet, swim and unwind. Placing it at the threshold makes it easy to reach and gives the enclave a social centre.

Made for walking

Paths and roads are designed to be barrier-free and comfortable on foot. An evening walk home from the club house, past the lawns and around the park, is how the enclave is meant to be lived in.