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If Ashish and Preeta Mon- ga's elegant house on Glendora Avenue feels awash in a peaceful vibe, it's by design. "The goal was for it to be a calm and medita- tive place for the family after a busy day," says Ashish, a radiologist who practices at nearby Medical City Dallas Hospital. His wife, Preeta, uses her background in finance and fine arts to advocate for philanthropic and cultural-awareness projects. After years of searching for a house with clean lines that exuded serenity, yet was practical for their needs, the Mongas decided in 2010 to build their own. "We are modernists, and true modernism eliminates anything that doesn't need to be there," Ashish says. "But we wanted more than a box. It needed to function as a home for kids, and we also knew that one day our parents would move in as well." The property attracted them not only because of its proximity to the hospital, but because it's situated between two limestone-clad houses designed by award- winning modernist architect Lionel Morrison, whose work they admire. "We liked the idea of creating a modern enclave on the street," Ashish says. After a long interview process that included discussions with architects across the country, they selected Morrison protégé Joshua Nimmo, who had just gone out on his own. "He matched exactly what we were looking for. Josh is humble and modest, and his work is also that way. We also wanted a deep involvement in the design process, and he was open to that." The collaboration proved intense, with the Mongas and Nimmo meeting weekly for two years prior to the house's construction to discuss design. The challenge was integrating all their wishes, primarily the desire to accom- modate three generations of family with individual spaces that would be private, but not isolating. They also wanted to bring nature into the house in a big way. Nimmo's answer was to create individual suites for parents, children, and grand- parents that revolve around a central living area, with views to a courtyard, pool, and a tall bald sycamore they had preserved. "We wanted people to hang out together, not in their bedrooms," says Nimmo, "so the idea was to create an open, luxurious space where everyone wanted to be." Taking context into consideration, Nimmo clad the house in the same Lueders Limestone as its two neighbors. Because the house is 70 percent glass, he warmed things inside and out with mahogany, walnut, and bleached oak. Custom raw-steel gates and a long limestone wall enclose the property from the street. "It's very straightforward and stark in its layout," Nimmo says. "It has a severe quality to it, but when you open the gates, you experience these beautiful, light-filled open spaces." P reeta and Ashish Monga arrived with their parents from India to the United States as young children — Preeta grew up in Fairfax, Virginia, while Ashish grew up in Dallas. "Our parents arrived in this country with one suitcase and degrees in engineering and medicine," Preeta says. "There's that bond we have to India, and it's something we are proud of." The Mongas' three children were born in America, so maintaining a lasting connection to their homeland is important. Homage to their 55 An 18th-century French marble-top console from W. Gardner, Ltd. On console, Joe Davidson's Emaciated Landscape, 2005, made from layers of Scotch tape. B Y R E B E C C A S H E R M A N . I N T E R I O R D E S I G N J O S H U A R I C E D E S I G N . A R C H I T E C T J O S H U A N I M M O, N I M M O A R C H I T E C T U R E . P H OTO G R A P H Y C O S TA C H R I S T, R O B E R T Y U. P O R T R A I T S T E V E N V I S N E A U. A YOUNG COUPLE WITH INDIAN ROOTS BUILDS A MODERN SANCTUARY FIT FOR THREE GENERATIONS. In the living room, a pair of vintage English chairs, circa 1970. Bellis table by Torbjørn Afdal. Vintage Finn Juhl Japan sofa. Photo Jason Yu.