Private Residence in Navi Mumbai by Heena Shaikh

Heena Shaikh’s private residence in Navi Mumbai shows how a compact urban site can still support family life, daylight, work, parking and moments of calm.

The project is useful because it treats private home architecture as a planning problem first. The house has to work vertically, but still feel connected, generous and usable.

Watch: Architecture Social video

This Architecture Social video adds useful context before the practical guidance below.

A compact site with a vertical answer

The brief was for a family of four on a 200 sq.m site. The response is a G+3 structure where each level has a clear role and the vertical sequence becomes part of the home’s character.

• The ground floor handles parking for four cars, staff quarters and a compact office.
• The first floor becomes the family heart, with a double-height living and dining area.
• The kitchen connects to the main living space rather than being hidden away.
• The narrow north-facing frontage is used to bring light and rhythm into the facade.
• Terraces and balconies create small moments of pause above the street.

Why the staircase matters

The internal steel staircase is more than circulation. In a vertical home, movement between floors can either feel like a compromise or become the thing that holds the house together.

Here, the staircase helps organise light, air and family activity. That gives the home a stronger spatial idea than simply stacking rooms.

Architecture Social view

Stephen’s recruiter view is that residential portfolio projects should show how people live. The render matters, but the plan, section, stairs, thresholds and daylight are what explain the design judgement.

Next step

Browse more project showcases, read the portfolio guide, or submit your own architecture project.