Completed in 2014 by Khosla Associates, the Bhuwalka House is located in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, and it was built for a young couple and their daughter. The property measures 9,600 square feet and includes a basement parking level as well as the residence itself, which features four bedrooms, a large open space that comprises the living area, kitchen and dining area as well as a home theater and a gymnasium.
The open space is connected to a beautiful garden that contributes to an ambiance of naturalness and tranquility. The architects chose this particular place for the project’s location thanks to a series of wonderful trees that encircle the streetscape. The primary living area is a double height space that boasts a spectacular butterfly shaped roof. This area is flooded with natural light due to a series of skylights, while the east and west elevations flaunt operable blinds that offer glimpses of the outdoors.
As far as materials are concerned, the Jaiselmer yellow sandstone and timber elements are the most noteworthy, particularly because they manage to complement each other nicely.
From the architect:
The house was conceived for a young couple and their teen daughter, and the program on this 9,600 sft plot required a basement for car parking, 4 bedrooms, a home theatre, gym and public spaces such as living, dining and kitchen interacting with a large garden.
What drew us to the site in the upmarket Koramangala neighborhood in Bangalore was the number of mature trees that were part of the surrounding streetscape.
The west-facing frontage of the plot has a beautiful tree straddling the compound wall and we were keen to establish a dialogue between the house and the tree.
Our choice on the spatial flow of the house was dictated by the views to the street as well as to the open area and the low-slung house sitting on the adjacent plot to its north.
The anchor of the house is a dramatic double height living area that culminates vertically in a sweeping butterfly shaped roof, orienting west and east towards street as well as garden. Walkways on the upper level lead to private bedrooms and interact with the double height volumes of the staircase shaft on one side and the living area on the other.
Copious amounts of natural night bathe this area via a series of skylights while louvered operable blinds allow for controlled light and views via large expanses of glass on the east and west elevations.
The house is richly layered and textured with a judicious mix of materials, which extends into the choice of furniture, furnishings and artwork. The large expanses of Jaiselmer yellow sandstone are juxtaposed with the warmth of timber on the sloping roofs, polished cement and exposed concrete on wall and ceiling surfaces and a linear wall painted a deep ink blue.
Architecture and Interior Design : Khosla Associates
Principal designers : Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand
Design team : Sandeep Khosla , Amaresh Anand , Akanksha Chajjer and Moiz Faizulla
Civil Contractors: Dan Constructions Pvt. Ltd.
Structural Engineer : S & S Associates.
Photography by Shamanth Patil J.