“It is important to take the client through the design process so that when they move in, it does not feel like they have moved to a new place, but have been there always.” — Kukke Subramanya

Tailor-made for the client, Mukund’s Residence stands on a beautiful piece of plot in Jayanagar in the city of Bengaluru, Karnataka. Leveraging the benefit of knowing Mukund personally and professionally, Architect Kukke Subramanya tells Buildofy the tale of how he weaved these pieces of information in crafting this intimate and personal abode.

FACT FILE

PRIMARY IDEOLOGY

The basic premise of the design was to provide the client with a house that was one with nature — an abode which, no matter where one was throughout the house, would feel like being in Lal Baug, the renowned botanical gardens of Bengaluru. The subsequent design, as a result, translated into a space where the greens became an integral part of the residence.

With minimal spatial requirements, the house comprises three rooms and a living area. The client initially desired a central courtyard integrated into the plan as a way to invite nature inside. However, Subramanya enhanced the idea and offered a serene feeling central water pool instead. Taking further cues from the client’s lifestyle, this principal architect adopted the colour of Mukund’s usual white and minimal attire to be reflected in the house’s overall built personality.

LEVERAGING THE SITE

The site is situated on a corner plot with many benefits that had been tactfully identified, the most significant one being the tiny plots on the north with no potential for future expansion detected and the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) Garden beyond those with lush green trees giving the locality its quaint and cosy atmosphere.

Making a note of these aspects, the design ensures that most of the residence’s fenestrations open to the north. In doing this, the house borrows its extended green views from the adjacent park, making the most of its surroundings. The other ancillary openings such as the entrances and the car park have been stationed towards the south and the west of the plot.

MAPPING THE SPACES

At first glance, the built mass seems intricately woven with the thriving greenery that appears as if it has always been there. However, Subramanya along with his associate, Sandhiya R, unravel the thought process and elaborate how decidedly every space has been positioned the way it has been.

Working off on a simple grid, by keeping the living area towards the front, the dining and the kitchen towards the rear and tucking the guest room in a corner pocket created between them, the house starts taking shape. The spaces have minimal walls and decisive care has been taken that even a private area such as the kitchen does not miss out on the rich natural views that the house has been crafted around. Additionally, this has been done without compromising on visual privacy from visitors entering the house.

The master bedroom and the daughter’s bedroom have been roomed on the upper level, with the media room, spa, and hobby room making up the topmost level. This simplistic stacking of spaces proves successful since they all benefit from making the most of the northern views that are the crux of the design, and they additionally get to bask in the southern winter sun equally.

Each bedroom has a private balcony that overlooks the garden. The daughter’s bedroom has a cosy study area atop a mezzanine floor. With minimal walls and see-through facades that constantly allow the external vegetation to remain in sight, this space has an ethereal meditative feel to it.

To further deal with the climatological trends, the stairwell, fashioned strategically at the south, acts as a shaft which draws the heated air from the habitable areas and expels it naturally from the top. The peripheral greens are a consistent companion as one traverses upwards in the form of an ever-present wall just outside.

At the top, the design provided a 1,600 sq. ft. of terrace which has been installed with a solar panel system. This generates about 15 kW of power — half of which is utilised for the residence and the remaining is given back to the grid. The terrace also holds the nursery adding more greenery to engulf the habitat with.

A NATURAL DESIGN

The weather observed in the city of Bengaluru is perfect for inviting the outdoors inside. Mukund’s Residence does so on multiple fronts. Separating the dining room from the living area is a pool of water which reflects the garden and the sky making them feel connected with the house.

The green walls of plants around the periphery of the house help create a unique isolated micro-climate where the house remains cool, humid and naturally ventilated for most parts of the year. These walls of vegetation have a drip irrigation system to sustainably nurture their growth. There is a provision to tweak the frequency of watering taking the seasonal requirements into consideration.

Further thought in detail is what makes this house shine. For example, the transition space between the two bedrooms on the upper floor, while small in area, takes on a sense of infiniteness owing to the natural light flooding it, the warm wood holding it in place and the view it has of the openness beyond.

MATERIALITY AND PALETTE

Throughout the house, the colours on display are all neutral. Minimal Asian white and the natural green of the plants are complimented by the dark of the black granite —this is a theme that begins from the front door and is carried throughout.

The staircase is made out of timber, with care taken to avoid cluttering with additional materials. In doing so, the space allows the sunlight flittering in to be displayed and reflected inside the house unobtrusively. The wood used throughout is Burma teak wood, chosen for its compatibility with the white in the palette.

A striking feature of the house is the interwoven copper grid facade that lines the corridor that abuts the master bedroom along the southwest looking as if it is afloat from the outside.

Mukund’s Residence is like a complex puzzle with multiple diverse parts. Architecture design, such as this, delivers spectacularly when with conscious thought, it manages to piece and interweave elements that are individually brilliant into a built fabric that makes them homogenously work together.

Hear the story of Mukund’s Residence firsthand, or indulge yourself in the video walkthrough and study the drawings in detail by visiting Buildofy. While there, browse our other themes for more dream home inspirations.