Green Living
It’s as lush outside as it is plush inside. In this bespoke bungalow in Bangalore, traditional, green architectural practices coupled with contemporary design and aesthetics make the space stand out.
HOME TOUR
Architects Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand take us inside a bungalow in Bangalore that is an ode to green design
THAT WORKS
Entrepreneur and designer Amrita Deora shares tips on sustainability with a walk through Camelot CoWorks in Mumbai
NATURE STUDY
Architect Nilanjan Bhowal on creating eco-friendly spaces
SPOILT FOR CHOICE
Products that are look good and reduce your carbon footprint
Vernacular architecture has known what modern aesthetes often miss—that eco-sensitive design is easy to incorporate in a home. When we were presented with 16,000 sq ft of space in a leafy, gated community of Bangalore, the plot was dotted with several mature trees, which we retained and built the home around. We envisioned a relatively low-slung architectural expression that would be interpretive of a vernacular aesthetic, while accommodating its green surroundings. This also led us to create a contextually sensitive and sustainable design by maximising local materials, using clay tiled roofs to keep the house cool, large overhangs to protect against sun and rain, and cross ventilation to keep the house breathing.
As firmly as the homeowners are rooted to their traditions, they are also global travellers, equally open to an eclectic design aesthetic that is reflected in the house interiors. An architecture of sloped Mangalore tiled roofs and rough-cut shira stone cladding contrasts with floors of rough and polished Kota and a joinery of teak. The living space is a grand volume of 25 ft with two slopes of the roof at differing heights separated by a clerestory window. Large floor-to-ceiling windows with sheer linen blinds provide soft light in the mornings from the northeast. Large overhangs on the southwest protect against the harsh afternoon sun while horizontal timber louvres provide for natural cooling via a stack effect and act as sun breakers. The living
areas open to a wooden deck that continues into a wrap around a verandah overlooking a lush internal courtyard garden.
The central feature of the living space is a burnt orange spiral staircase sculpted out of a shell of mild steel and housing timber treads. The large expanses of grey kota are contrasted with a bright colour palette of turquoise, violet, red and mustard. The bold ikat patterned carpet provides a vibrant base on which pieces by Moroso, Minotti, Riva and Poliform sit alongside other furniture designed by us. The central cluster of Mori fabric pendant lamps were sourced from New York-based design house Rich Brilliant Willing, complemented by other light fixtures by Tom Dixon and Isamu Noguchi. The butterfly sculpture on the wall is Sunil Gawde’s ‘Secret Garden’ and other paintings are by contemporary artists Shivkumar and Suresh Kumar.
The spatial flow takes into consideration the family’s requirement of segregating public and private space. The ground floor has living, study, dining, puja, home theatre, two kitchens, and two guest rooms while the upper level has three bedrooms, a yoga and meditation space and a family room. On the garden side, the study and the living rooms flow into their respective verandahs that hug a large pebbled fishpond.
Architects Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand head Bangalore-based Khosla Associates. They have won over 30 national and international awards. www.khoslaassociates.com