Layered synthesis!

By FinchD

Photography: Shamanth Patil J; courtesy Khosla Associates

Read Time: 2 mins  

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Located in the affluent neighbourhood of Jubilee Hills in suburban Hyderabad, House 1058 is a family home distinguished as a staggering mass of layers along horizontal and vertical planes...

Conceptualised as a congregation of programmatically distributed spaces, the ground floor is dedicated for public spaces, while the first floor houses the private areas of the family. 

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Bangalore-based renowned architect firm, Khosla Associates use the unbroken length of the linear site to create proportionate pockets of green spaces against the built mass. The open spaces, predominantly oriented north, are distributed uniformly around the living, dining, kitchen, bar, study, puja room, guest room and home theatre. Organised as courtyards, tropical courtyard gardens, verandahs, and decks, the green areas are contiguous with the living areas, some of which are designed as pavilions, thus enhancing the quality of the adjacent voids.

 

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On the first floor, the bedrooms for the different members of the family are provided with balconies and terraces, which not only act as buffers between the harsh exterior and conditioned interior, but also transform into spaces of relaxation and entertainment.

 

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The characteristic staggering form is achieved by experimenting with substantial cantilevers and varying shapes for the timber-clad roofs, which were in-turn, possible with innovative structural systems of tubular space-frame trusses. A novel cladding system and insulation method coupled with the pragmatic distribution of spaces, affords the house respite from the heat. 

 

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Although atypical to the local context, the house is designed in kota stone, exposed, polished cement, grey granite and teakwood; all of which are locally sourced. The mellow colour scheme of the construction materials is balanced with bright, primary colours used in the furniture and upholstery. 

 

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As a consequence of inverted trapezoidal forms, manipulation of surface angles and varying heights, the house appears as a composition of Tetris blocks, which appear to be interlocked together to create playful spaces of habitation.