S - VILLA # 29

CONCEPT: The site is 2400 sft plot with access road in the west located in Bangalore, India. The brief described a 5 bedroom house to accommodate a single family and a social lifestyle. The surrounding urban landscape was not as healthy as intended so the design concept had to be as inward looking as possible. The process was to keep the external factors at bay and evolve a form which maintains a continuity of the place.The program was designed with interlocking blocks with additions and subtractions to form main spaces and courtyards. Since the plan had to be subjected to an inwards looking design, all the spaces in the upper ground level overlook in to the courtyard with a double height. The lower ground level houses the car porch and all related services along with a personal office space with direct access from the external road. The upper ground levels houses the living area, dining area , kitchen , and the guest bedroom. The living and the courtyard spaces area double height volumes which maintains links with the upper levels.The court is seen as an anchor around which the other activities relate to in the house. The double heights and courtyards continues to be relevant socially and climatically in our context. The first floor houses private bedrooms and the sacred puja room. The puja is the termination of the central bridge overlooking the two double height spaces. The strategically located double heights helps In focusing the experience towards the interiority of the house. The movement through the house is manipulated through the carefully located fabricated staircase which leads through the dining area. The staircase continues to the second floor which again terminates in a self contained central open to sky courtyard.This floor houses the double height master bedroom with the study, home theater , gym and the private bar area. All these activities overlook into the central yard in turn connected by huge glazed surfaces. The double height not only gives a large sense of volume internally but also enhances the aesthetic beauty from the road for the elevation. The structure is RCC frame with solid cement blocks infill. Rainwater harvesting and solar heating are given utmost importance which in turn reduces the cost and energy needs.Familiar use of materials like marble , wood , terracotta tiles , cement plastered and paved surfaces adds to the experiential dimensions as they are used in unfamiliar ways.Since the western sun is very harsh , ample overhangs are created to reduce heat and also integrates the covered private balconies and sitouts. The master bedroom with its huge overhang is clad on the underside internally entirely with eco –friendly timber , that offers great depth of warmth to the entire space.