This residential project is an extension to a 25 year old family home in a very pristine neighborhood on Palace Cross Rd, Bangalore. The clients acquired the neighboring property with the purpose of creating a zone for relaxation and entertainment. The additional design is an annex to the existing functions of the home, albeit more luxurious and at the same time accommodating certain added spaces and amenities. The new scheme had to include a covered garage, a large landscaped garden with a lap pool, lounge areas, an office, gym, home theater, a bar and breakfast space and a master bedroom suite. This included all service areas and standalone servant quarters for the home.

Contextually the site is surrounded by a lot of greenery. The large Rain trees on the site ensure adequate solar protection with its all-encompassing canopy. Several small trees along the periphery also aid in shading the site. The lap pool is located below this rain tree and is animated throughout the day by the mottled sunlight streaming in through the leaves.

The cornerstone of the design conceptualization was harmony. The new design had to be critically responsive to the site, the built context and the needs of its inhabitants. The design decisions taken were all reflective of this ideology. Thus in the design process several choices have originated organically. A lot of these were from close interactions and discussion with the clients and the people on site.
The new architecture style had to be in an amicable dialogue with the old, in keeping with the concept. The additional spaces needed to seamlessly fit into their context while also retaining their freshness; both spatial and stylistic. In order to enable this, the entire ground floor functions were of a very public and semi-public nature. Visually, the landscape of the site flows into the surrounding built spaces. The lack of separations and fenestrations towards the garden was a conscious choice to keep the minimalism of the scheme intact.

Schematically, the private functions are organized on the first floor such that they create a covered semi-public space below. This space which is ideal for lounging, allows the outside to permeate the inside and create a transient boundary in-between. The extension is interspersed with courtyards that bring in some more natural light and ventilation. An open-to-sky staircase cradles one of the courts and provides access to the upper floor. The staircase is detailed in stone to resonate with the raw outdoor feel. The flooring and the exposed concrete also reflect the same emotion. Mirror work on hand plastered wall surfaces inspired by the indigenous ‘Lippan’ work of the Kutch area, is done to decorate the background of these courtyards. Ample light and breeze, characteristic of the Bangalore climate fills these spaces and makes them delectable to inhabit.

An office room was provided in the ground floor adjoining the lounge. This appropriates the lounge as an informal area for official discussions as well.

The long lap pool is at the northern end of the property. A deck runs around the pool on 3 sides, while the fourth side is a glass edge. The glass edge blends the water element into the green landscape to achieve a harmonious dimension to the whole outdoor. At the end of the lap pool is an integrated hot tub. Attached services include showers and changing rooms. In front of the pool the ground dips to create a natural looking water body. This is further enhanced by the rocks and the landscape ornamenting it.
The main house is connected to the extension by a wood wrapped protected walkway. The glazed openings on the North face of this walkway floods the interior with light while the West face has movable vertical fins crafted from Brazilian ipe wood that keeps out the harsh glare from the sun. The north face has openable window shutters while the slats give the house its contemporary look.

The walkway is the main circulation spine to the functions happening on the first floor. Access to the floor is provided by the staircase within the house as well as an external stair from the courtyard below. A small bar area and a breakfast terrace are at the culmination of the open staircase court. Within the corridor and on the side of the vertical fins, the family’s collection of artwork is hung free from the surface.

The master bedroom suite happens at the very beginning of the corridor and away from the Gym, home theatre, games room and spa that are positioned at the other end. At this end the spaces between the gym, games area and the home theatre are explicitly defined so as to allow a (coexisting) symbiotic functional space for all three. The only level of privacy is for the home theatre which has a movable screen to isolate it from the surrounding spaces.

All these elements combine to create a very serene living space within a bustling city context.