The site is in the hot and humid city of Mangalore, Karnataka, India. It experiences monsoon for over 4 to 5 months in a year. The project is designed to have two houses within the compound and is built in a site size of 15 cents. The built form incorporates the needs of an extended family of two siblings. The linear house is designed for the brother and his family along with his parents. An architect by profession, he has also included a studio space in the upper floors. The second house is designed for the sister, who along with her husband are doctors by profession.
The site is trapezoidal in shape, with the linear house planned in 22’ X 100’ while the other house is fitted in the remaining site. The design is a climatic response and is greatly influenced by the surrounding area, including the hilly terrain. Great care has been taken to ensure cross ventilation and day lighting is achieved overall through elements like high volume ceilings, double height spaces and sloped roof with optimal waterproof treatment.
House A:
The Linear house is designed along the length of the site with a courtyard where the stairway is provided. This house has a simple plan and is divided into two parts. The front portion has the house which includes two floors, and the back portion has the design studio. The central metallic stairway is the hero element of the design with a contemporary style emphasized by the bold colour palette. Having been inspired by the cradle to provide support from all directions, the stairway is safe and easy to access for the elderly and children alike. The ground floor has a kitchen, dining, living space and a bedroom. The first floor has two rooms and a family space. The internal stairs continue to the next floor that houses the design studio.
House B:
The second house is designed in the trapezoidal portion of the site. Due to this, it is recessed on one side with offsets alongside which the functional spaces are aligned. This setback makes for a nice garden which can be accessed from each of the spaces. This helps in the seamless connectivity of the interior and exterior spaces. The ground floor of the house has a living space along with dining, kitchen and two bedrooms.
The first floor is completely private with a master bedroom and a library area that can be used for unwinding over a book or music with family and friends or for work meetings. The second floor is designed to have recreational spaces like the gym, art corner and a home theatre.
The two houses are a perfect blend of vernacular and modern design. Elements like the courtyard, verandah space or Jagali and the garden spaces are married effortlessly with modern elements such as the car park with UV resistant glass roof and metallic staircases. In this project, the god is in the details. For example, the car park roof includes bamboo sticks to combat the heat from the harsh sunlight. The well in the corner of the site is blended into the landscape. The outlets provided for the rainwater have cast iron chains as ornaments to enhance the beauty of the monsoon weather.
Characterized by distinctive volumes and clean lines, the exterior façade for the residence brings a flavour of the classic and traditional to the architecture of the house and helps in giving the overall project a complete look.
