Set deep in the quiet suburbs of Porur, on a north-facing site, the starting point of this home was an expressed interest in the quality and allure of handcrafted homes. The brief was simple, set in a challenging context - to design a house with good lighting and ventilation for a 4-member family over an existing, occupied ground floor. A big perennial tree dominates the road front, throwing out a pleasant microclimate while paddy fields spread out on the rear southern side. The design process was channelized by two compelling streams of thought – proportion and visual connectivity. The first, inspiration stemmed from The Modular Man, Le Corbusier’s architectural interpretation of the Golden Ratio (1:1.6). This set a simple yet effective spatial framework for the building. The latter was aimed at enhancing the “experience” of the structure – nuances with the power to create memories and hence make a building truly immortal.

The aim was to create cosy connected spaces that would aid intimate familial activities. This was achieved by conceiving the entire volume in sections; arbitrations done to zone activities, locating openings and attaining visual connectivity. The design process was intended to bring in a certain sense of aesthetic order and to give a framework within which the building’s form flourished. The final structure is more of a reaction to the continuous conscious application of the modular proportions, in the volumes, heights, size, and shape of openings, façade treatment, spatial configuration and so on.
The horizontality of the floor plates is aptly broken by puncturing out two vertical cores that serve as a courtyard and an adjacent staircase respectively. The activities formed the basis for the spatial arrangement ensuring a constant visual connection along the plumb and parallels, between the outside and inside. The planes of the house were staggered to create a sense of visual connection between the many layers. This is paired with an almost panoramic framing of the entire northwest stretch, bringing in the external microclimate– all green and pleasantly cool. The lines between the outside and inside were blurred effectively by planning intermediate spaces like courtyards, sit-outs, and open corridors, especially in the West. This cut out direct sunlight and cooled the incoming breeze while allowing free flow of space, light and sight.
The material used was selected to portray a timeless fashion; warm tones of Jaisalmer brick, Kota stone and wood are complemented by the cool greys of cement-finished walls and exposed concrete ceilings; this entire ensemble is placed against the subtle yet refreshing backdrop of tropical green outside framed by the continuous span of floor to lintel windows.
The staircase was envisioned and constructed carefully. Linear black metal railings run the entire vertical length and the landing is fashioned out of a metal mesh. This made the circulation core, despite being centrally placed in the plan; feel almost negligible in occupancy and extremely light on the eyes.
Natural light engulfs the interiors because of holistic open planning. It plays on the different materials, colours and textures resulting in serendipitous shadows, which find a place on the various surfaces of the house playing canvas.
The façade is again an ode to the Modular proportions. The floor plates are extended outward beyond the building footprint and segmented vertically to form a series of rectangles. The sides of these conform to the ratio, giving the building some order and mildness. Its mass is further lightened by opening out spaces as sit-outs, and corridors and by the generous use of windows. The view of the house is as breezy as the view from the house, masking the actual site space-intensive construction.
The truly humbling aspect of this project was not only the joy of realizing yet another meaningful edifice but the fact that this joy was shared by the client. They live there today, adding their interpretations to the designed space and sweetening it further.