Modern. Private. Traditional Indian courtyard. Sunlit. Heart of the city. Landscaped gardens enveloping the house. I could use some more adjectives to do justice to this beautiful vaastu compliant 5-bedroom home in Bangalore with an introverted architecture built by Crest Architects for a family of five.
To build a such spacious house kissed by natural light all through the day wrapped in greenery in the heart of the city makes one stop and take notice. The architecture cleverly looks inside revealing very little from the street that keeps the noise and curious onlookers at bay.
About the project:
Who lives here: Chandrashekhar Reddy and his family
Location: Bengaluru, India
Year built: 2019
Size: 4226 sq.ft
Type: Independent house with 5 bedroom and 6 bathrooms
Designed by: Crest Architects
Photograph courtesy for the images: Shamanth Patil J
The architect says,”
The client approached us with the requirement of a traditional Indian courtyard house. A family of five comprising parents, grandparents and their daughter reside in the house. The site for the Floating Walls Residence, is located in a densely populated locality.
The architects developed an introverted building program around two courtyards. A series of staggered slits have been deliberately positioned at unconventional heights throughout the house to allow light, maximum views of the outside and accentuate the spatial experience. This also allows for maximum privacy.
They paid strong attention paid to details while blurring the lines between the tangibles and intangibles.
The architect says,”
The major challenge was finding an intimate space in the crowd. Being private in a public space so as to arrive at a visually engaging structure amidst the chaotic background.
Layout & Vastu Compliant House Plan
They adopted an introverted open plan layout to create a seamless flow of spaces and to ensure connectivity across the floors. Designed around two landscaped courtyards, the building program is spread across three floors consisting of a parking area, formal and informal living, an open kitchen and dining, five bedrooms, a study and a semi-open terrace with a kitchenette.
Both the courtyards have been strategically designed with skylights to bring in maximum light.
Entrance Foyer
A 4” thick Sadahalli stone slab bridging over the Koi fish pond and a series of large granite steps greets one at the entrance of the house. The traditional concept of load bearing and counter weight system has been used in the screen wall by cantilevering 2″ thick Sadahalli slab, to create a dramatic impact at the entrance.
Sophisticated Formal Living
An exquisite green couch has been juxtaposed against the white walls in the formal living to create a sophisticated look. The open able titanium sheet panel covering the electrical shaft, continues onto the ceiling and acts as an interesting feature.
Informal Living-cum-Dining in an Envious Urban Jungle
The modern informal living is enveloped by clear glass to establish a strong relationship with the landscape outside. The subdued character of the architectural materials allowed for colourful pieces of furniture to sit energetically in its foreground. The central dining space is flanked by courts on both sides creating a tranquil ambience.
Traditional Indian Courtyard Inspired by Origami
Inspired by the Japanese art form, Origami, the captivating metal staircase in the southern court is cantilevered from a suspended wall unfolding a distinctive experience and a sense of lightness within the house. The northern court anchors the entire built space bringing in abundant natural light, providing a visual connection between the floors and setting a refreshing ambience.
Modern Pooja Design
Canopied by a temple tree, the artfully designed puja sits as a distinguishing sculpture in this court. A transparent layer of glass introduced to bring in light to the rooms overlooking the courtyard has been furnished with fabric panels that provide flexibility of usage to the inhabitants.
All these spaces within the house are wrapped around the courtyards, which symbolizes the ‘exterior’ within this introverted scheme. Skylights and multiple slits integrated in the design keep the interiors well lit, accentuates the spatial experience and makes certain of a connection with nature that largely lacks in today’s urban world.
Warm Master Bedroom Dressed in Blue Accents
The well-lit master bedroom transforms into a cozy space by the use of royal blue accent and warm hues of brown in combination with materials like leather, velvet and wood. The bling walls of the bathroom with hexagonal mirrors stand out as stark contrasting features of the otherwise modest bathroom.
Guest Bedroom:
Great attention to detail has been given in the guest bedroom by incorporating niches and camouflaging the bathroom door with the main wall. A combination of black Corian, white glass, wood reapers has been used in the wall paneling with a blue velvet accent.
Daughter’s Room
The daughter’s bedroom is decked up with contrasting red and white Corian and has a 16’ high ceiling with a mezzanine bathroom and dress.
Family Lounge
Enhancing the interesting play of light and shadows created by the skylights, the family which is the central connecting space is furnished with subtle colours.
The interiors are kept simple and have been devised with great attention to detail to blend smoothly with the architectural elements. Natural textures of wood and exposed concrete amidst the subtle elements and neutral colour palettes with accents like olive green, navy blue, crimson red and burnt orange create elegant spaces that exemplify a comprehensively designed urban home.
The exterior surfaces are a blend of clean white walls juxtaposed against timber and glass.
Resources
Lights: Lightwell and Hybec
Paints: Asian Paints
Furnishings: D’Décor and Kosh
Sofas: Natuzzi, Global Concepts and Script
Dining table:
Flooring tiles: Krismar
Rugs: Global Concepts and Script
Furniture in living/family room: Natuzzi, Global Concepts and Script
