“We took care that the design reflects the clients and not us.” — Akhila Kumar

FACT FILE

VISION BEHIND THE HOUSE

This was not just any other project for the architects, Akhila Kumar and Meera Rajendra. The vision of the clients to move away from the bustling city of Bangalore to a serene location with a pristine golf course as their backyard was something that the architect duo wished to translate into a home that embraced their passions and dreams. The objective, thus, was to infuse personal warmth and thoughtfulness into every aspect of the design. The result is not just a house, but a haven for a slow and meditative lifestyle that the clients had longed for.

While studying the site context, additionally, the architects noticed a striking banyan tree that had spread onto the plot behind the client’s, which the designers proceeded to make the point of focus of the vistas the house would have.

TAKING THE SHOT

The 8-Degree House is not just a mere house, but a manifestation of the core idea that sprang up in the duo’s minds — that of a golfer’s stance. This evolved into the blue oxide-finished shear wall that runs through the house at an angle of 8 degrees — the angle of a golfer's stance, which serves as the central theme of the house. This idea played an instrumental role in inspiring the home’s open spaces, dramatic roofs, and stunning views of the greenery from every room.

The slant of the wall enables a larger footprint on the first floor for the bedrooms, while also providing a curved roof for the master bedroom. The parabolic roof over the living room gently sweeps down to create a cosy and inviting atmosphere. The shear wall has been utilised cleverly by puncturing it at strategic points to frame beautiful views of the banyan tree and open up spaces.

WALKING THROUGH THE SPACES

A guiding essence of the design process was to merge functionality with experiential design. The entrance foyer with customised storage for the golf equipment opens via a portal-like opening in the 8-degree blue wall into a warm and inviting living area. Expansive windows light up the room and a parabolic roof cut down into the double-height space creating a cosy tent-like feeling inside.

A private seating area greets you as move deeper into the house, bringing you to the most used area of this residence. A bay window on the north side lights the seating area while a thoughtfully installed wooden slat screen allows the house its privacy from the adjacent house that is too close to the client’s house.

A wooden breakfast counter visually connects the seating area with the dining and kitchen space. A smaller nook-like zone houses all the heavy kitchen appliances and keeps them out of the visible way.

With the blue of the concrete and the white of the terrazzo-finished textured tiles of the flooring, the house ran the risk of being too cold. Wood has been integrated into the space in a decided manner such as in the windows or the kitchen counter top to add warm touches to the rooms.

At the end of the dining area is a deck, and is one of the most used spaces of the house. The deck sports black unpolished granite. The steps down from it have a clean geometric black-and-white pattern — the white of which comes from the leftover flooring used in the interiors. At the end also lies the daughter’s bedroom with an attached dressing area. Design details such as adding a stub wall that becomes a backdrop for the bed add character and charm to this space.

The upper floor houses the main bedrooms. One of them is a huge master suite. This space gets its character from the two-foot high corner ribbon windows that offer cosy vistas of the surroundings of the house to anyone sitting on the bed inside. A small port window in the 8-Degree wall allows visual connectivity into the double-height space of the living area below. On the rear side of this floor, facing the banyan tree, lies the son’s bedroom, also provided with vistas of this view.

An interesting space that clients wished for was a yoga and meditation room. This room has been designed to be kept minimal with jute textured wallpaper and next to no treatment done. An opening perfectly frames the banyan tree at the back within its frame to become the focal point of anyone sitting in this room.

The design of the 8-Degree house is a reflection of the client's traditionally rooted sensibility and modern outlook. This contemporary style is seamlessly combined with Indian elements, with traditional roots evident in the carefully curated details, that pop through in the overall modern aesthetic of the space.