Conceived as a ‘pebble in the grass’, this house acts as an extended entertainment center to a previously existing home which was built 20 years back. It has been designed in congruence with its context by using the same material palette nonetheless managing to express the shift in time of both buildings by virtue of its design. The breathtaking landscape of the site just reinforced the idea, to create a design that blends remarkably with the site it sits in.
Asserting its presence with a singular, bold and robust frame, this house sits impressively within its surroundings ,the softening of its edges and the tilt were a result of trying to blend this stark object with the scape (imagine a lone pebble in the grass. It looks distinct / beautiful and yet blends in. It almost seems like it is tucked into the lush green landscape within a stunning pool court.
The construction system is shell based so cantilevering the block was not a challenge; imagine the unit to be like a sliced section of a pipe it is so strong in itself due to pre-stress, that minor stresses and strains are inconsequential. Developed from a sturdy concrete shell, glass on either side of the elevation makes it visually balanced and transparent becoming the best example of a manmade object beautifully blending with God made nature.
In the heart of this design lies its service core, the lifeline of any building, masked with a wooden block. This combination of wood and concrete renders an expression which welcomes its guests while dazzling them.
In order to align with the architectural vocabulary the interior design had to be singular as well. The wooden paneling forms a floating media unit completely concealing all the devices and screen; this however is reciprocated with a curved panel on the other side defining the seating space with the island bar. The floor is the same concrete polished. It has no plaster / paint / waterproofing or finishing render. The interiors a bare with just a single block cladded in wood internally and externally housing a toilet and a pantry. The toilet is finished in terrazzo cast in-situ, the concrete used is a designed mix without and artificial pigments and enhancers we wanted the concrete to breathe and weather naturally.
