Pitched House

Location: Bangalore, India
Photo credits: Lester Rozario

This residence in Bangalore was conceived as three blocks wrapped around a courtyard. The idea was to have an inward-looking space where this courtyard is the heart of the house. The courtyard also becomes an assured source of light and ventilation even if the neighbors overbuild. As architects engaging in residential projects in the city, it is always a concern that potential neighboring construction may undermine the intended architectural intention.

The programmatic requirement was to design a home for a family of 4 with visiting elderly parents from both sides.  The clients were also toying with the idea of the parents eventually moving in with them.  For this purpose, a double-bedroom unit was planned on the ground floor which could potentially be built at a later stage. Thus the rest of the house is raised on stilts. However, this decision resulted in a particularly disproportionate and top-heavy form.  In order to mitigate the heaviness, the upper floors were conceived as three separate forms, distinct from one another in form, size, as well as in material.

The tallest block is placed at the rear and the remaining two seem to cascade down toward the front. The clients’ desire to have sloping roofs further contributed to the overall intention of bringing down the scale of the built form.

The family also wanted a large formal living & dining space as they entertained a lot. The double-height volume of the living room takes a small peek into the next volume at the spot where they intersect.