Wright Inspires

Located in a serene, residential locality in Bengaluru, this 2400 sqft linear plot has its shorter side facing a quiet park to the west and other residences abutting the rest of the three sides. The home is named “SHIVA STUTHI” which allegorically references the concept of free-flowing and peaceful living spaces. The plan was to bring in volume of space while creating a cosy overtone within the confines of the home, this makes the home exude a certain calming energy creating an emotional connect for the user. The home can be briefly described as a one that is culturally rooted to the land it is built in but in the context of the needs and wants of a contemporary way of life. The entire structure is elevated by five feet from the approach level with a linear walkaway leading one into the home. A multi-activity space is quietly tucked into the basement, accompanied be a convenient powder room. One is greeted by a garden at the entrance followed by a foyer that connects to a spacious great room overlooking a gorgeous park, and a unique sunken seating area meant for casual chit-chatting. This seating space is a modern take on a traditional veranda, a common feature in ancestral homes of the region, it opens up to the first floor allowing ample sunlight to liven up the space. The use of fastidiously angled windows allows ample natural ventilation and quiet breezes in the home to ensure that it requires no external cooling throughout the year. In a tight urban plot, as a designer, one seeks heighted ceilings and tall-skylights rather than large windows facing neighbours to create volume in spaces while maintaining privacy. The common areas of the house unfold into the living, dining, and kitchen that are both visually and aesthetically interconnected while being functionally independent. The parents’ room towards the front extends into a mellow nook seating space. A suave curvilinear staircase runs along all the levels and is complemented by a colossal skylight. The skylight adds life to the home, depicting myriad patterns through the day and the year. On the first floor, the staircase leads to a study space and then branches out to the master room, the daughters’ bedroom and an outdoor swing patio. Through a traditional window in the master bedroom, one can overlook to the patio that features a quaint garden and a swing. The first floor boasts an astounding waved filler-slab roof with eye-shaped skylights that extend to a fluttered pergola roof over the patio. The home also incorporates multiple green pockets across levels and its use of natural elements for light and ventilation significantly lower its energy requirements. The most striking element externally, is the bent glass façade that allows one to look out of the home while disallowing passers-by to look into the home. The house is wholly built using wire-cut bricks employing a distinctive method of construction. The exposed insulated walls provide adequate thermal comfort, making the home responsive to its surroundings. Novel concrete elements are added in the form of overhangs and weather sheds to complement the design. The flooring is majorly natural Kota stone and the in-house-designed wooden furniture accentuate the natural design palette employed through the home. The roof of a building usually contributes to the majority of the heat gain. Hence, to minimize this, the slabs are doubly insulated using bricks and country tile fillers that are eco-friendly and keep the home cool. Shiva Stuthi is a culturally-rooted, emotionally-appealing, aesthetically-pleasing contemporary eco-responsive home designed by team Wright Inspires.