“Luxury is vastness. It is the blurring of the line between the inside and the outside such that you are open to nature as well as the enclosed spaces.” — Swapnil Valvatkar

Designed for a young couple who approached the architect upon getting inspired by his past work, the house aims to offer a glimpse of the natural greens — inside or outside — from all vantage points in the residence. In a tête-à-tête with architect Swapnil Valvatkar, Buildofy brings you the story behind the design.  

FACT FILE

SITE ZONING AND PLANNING

The land is a corner plot located in a gated community on Sarjapur Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, admeasuring 5,600 sq. ft. with roads flanking it on the north and the east. Planned on a nine-grid rectangle layout, a shape arrived at by taking the existing trees on the site into consideration, the spaces have been oriented onto the grid in compliance with the Vastu Purusha Mandala.

The rooms all naturally fell into place, with the master bedroom taking up the southwest corner, the kitchen taking the southeast corner, the entrance foyer taking the northeast corner and the formal living room occupying the northwest corner.

The pockets into the grid that subsequently got left in between the major rooms took on the form of the three courts from which the house gets its name.

With the informal living room, located in the east, facing the side of the plot with the larger setback, it was possible to allow the space to spill outside on a large pavilion where one could sit outside.

The upper floor has three other bedrooms in the southeast, northwest and southwest pockets of the grid. A small balcony visually connects the upper floor with the double-height living space on the ground floor.

SECURITY WITHOUT A COMPOUND WALL

A policy set forth by the gated community that the plot is a part of was to not have compound walls. Security was thus tackled by raising the house by 4 ft — the house makes use of the space below in the form of a basement where the services, servants’ quarters and other areas are worked in.

This arrangement works for visual privacy as well, where the road is visible from the inside, but from the outside, glimpses of the interior remain elusive.

THE THREE COURTS

The central pocket of the nine-grid became the main courtyard around which all the spaces of the house are oriented. This is the Land Court or the Earth Court. Every plant in this space has been picked by the clients. The design is minimal with a tree in the centre and marble lining the surfaces, with a hint of wood to add warmth to the composition of the flooring here.

The staircase to the upper floor wraps itself around this area and hides the common toilets and the services from the view at the back.

Upon entry, the transition pocket between the foyer and the formal living room is designed as the Water Court. The experience of walking through water is enhanced by introducing stepping stones. The view into the remaining house is tactfully obstructed by the adjacent Earth Court, thus delivering on privacy. The material here is restricted to a mingle of marble and water, keeping it simple.

The pocket of the plan between the kitchen and the master bedroom is the Fire Court. That is where the puja room is housed. The space is designed as a sculptural element to add an interesting backdrop to the dining. Wooden slated skylight draws in sunlight, which casts a dynamic filigree of shadows that change throughout the day. This area is accentuated by pebbles along with the marble.

AIR AND LIGHT

The USP that Valvatkar’s firm offers is that their structures are always naturally lit throughout the day and optimally ventilated. Skylights over the courtyards wash light onto the interiors. All the bathrooms too have natural light penetrating into them using skylights.

MATERIALS

The clients had been clear on their desire to use marble throughout the house — which the design has delivered. The house makes use of wood, metals, acrylic surfaces and granite to contrast the polish of the marble, which is the prominent material.

The bathrooms all have individual material themes that they follow: Carrara marble is used in the master bedroom, with granite tiles and plants tying it all together, while in the kid’s bedroom, a collage of Moroccan tiles (which also make an appearance on their bed’s headboard) make an appearance alongside the main marble.

As housing trends evolve, bolder material choices are what the luxury segment can expect, according to Valvatkar. Bolder does not necessarily mean overboard and gaudy material choices, but rather a confident, knowledge-backed perspective on why the clients desire certain materials specifically.

To watch the complete walkthrough and study the house plans in detail, visit Buildofy. Browse through our collection of featured luxury houses explained by the top architects of India too.