Bharathi Prabhu visits a home off Yelahanka in the City and comes away impressed with the way natural elements have been integrated into the design.
![homing in on nature The ornate door, wall niches and a view of the living room from a concrete central ring are all the USPs of the house. Photos Bharathi Prabhu]( "homing in on nature The ornate door, wall niches and a view of the living room from a concrete central ring are all the USPs of the house. Photos Bharathi Prabhu")
The first thing that strikes you when you visit the beautiful two-storey home of Shree Nair and her husband Group Captain (Rtd) R P M Nair is the dome on the terrace. Then an elongated and curved verandah welcomes you to enter the main house through an awe-inspiring custom designed door. Once inside, a concrete central ring at the roof level draws your eye up to a 30-feet-high ceiling.
"This circular beam with concentric rings was to scale down the height of the roof with its dome shaped skylight. The open pooja is right under it and we have highlighted this place by creating a circular floor area with stone tiles.
The verandah acts as the buffer zone between the outside and inside," explains Lakshmi Narasimhan of Aarabhi Constructions. As an architect who firmly believes that the home dweller is more important than the design principles, Lakshmi worked closely with the Nairs while planning and building their home on a sprawling plot off Yelahanka.
Being in the Air force, Group Captain Nair had been posted in different places in the country and abroad and his wife Shree Nair had collected various artifacts which she wanted to display artistically. Since Shree also preferred open areas, Lakshmi designed the house in such a way that enclosed spaces are kept to a minimum. The foyer not only introduces one gradually to the living area but also functions as a display area for the flyer's many memorabilia including medals and the boots he wore while flying! Curved walls of the foyer themselves have been provided with display space.
Since the house also receives frequent guests, it had to be able to accommodate people effortlessly. Responding to these requirements, the living area has been divided into formal and informal sections to the left and right of the foyer and there is enough space to seat visitors and also a guest bed room in the ground floor. The kitchen, the master bedroom and a common bath room could also be placed in the ground floor as the site is nearly 10,000 sq ft in dimension. The huge landscaped garden adds to the charm of the house.
Letting air and light in
"I like to tap natural elements. Skylights and courtyards are part of my design principle as they let light and air in," says Lakshmi pointing to the cleverly placed vertical strips in the wall that let sun light stream down. The domed skylight bathes the steps of the open pooja with a warm glow during the day and the bright red lamp shades hanging from the circular beam illuminate the area during night. The circular beam is easily the leit motif of the house.
The climb to the first floor has an imposing Buddha placed in the niche of the wall looking benevolently at you. The first floor contains the Nairs' daughter's bedroom and a study. A jharokha in this bedroom with pretty peep curtains looks down into the dining area. It adds an oriental touch to the decor and also allows "communication between me in the ground floor and my daughter in the first floor" smiles Shree Nair.
The steps leading up to the first floor from the corner of the living area are done up with non slippery marble. With a hint of yellow they are very pleasing to the eye and look and feel rich. When the rest of the house doesn't have marble why this indulgence on the steps? "Since I intended to cover a portion of the floor with carpets, and furniture would take up some more floor space, I felt it was not necessary to use very expensive flooring material. Instead, we spent on things like the steps, the Rajasthani door and boat shaped pelmets," she says.
This trait of practicality is seen in the design of other areas also. While it would have perhaps been more aesthetic to have a sit out from the master bedroom in the ground floor, the Nairs decided to forego the option. As the Head of Operations at a school, Ms Nair is now free to dash out to work without having to lock one more door up. Even though the house built in 2008 and situated in Halcyon Defence Enclave measures 35 squares, it looks cosy and not ostentatious perhaps due to the use of vernacular principles.
"I don't believe in applying make-up to a house in terms of cladding, etc and feel that elevation of a house has to evolve gradually," states the architect with 14 years of practice and oodles of passion. "When a client says I am happy in this house, I feel gratified" she confesses and Shree Nair is one happy client.
"Despite the tragic loss of my husband recently, I continue to live in this house and am thankful everyday for this wonder," she says.
The first thing that strikes you when you visit the beautiful two-storey home of Shree Nair and her husband Group Captain (Rtd) R P M Nair is the dome on the terrace. Then an elongated and curved verandah welcomes you to enter the main house through an awe-inspiring custom designed door. Once inside, a concrete central ring at the roof level draws your eye up to a 30-feet-high ceiling. "This circular beam with concentric rings was to scale down the height of the roof with its dome shaped skylight. The open pooja is right under it and we have highlighted this place by creating a circular floor area with stone tiles.
The verandah acts as the buffer zone between the outside and inside," explains Lakshmi Narasimhan of Aarabhi Constructions. As an architect who firmly believes that the home dweller is more important than the design principles, Lakshmi worked closely with the Nairs while planning and building their home on a sprawling plot off Yelahanka.
Being in the Air force, Group Captain Nair had been posted in different places in the country and abroad and his wife Shree Nair had collected various artifacts which she wanted to display artistically. Since Shree also preferred open areas, Lakshmi designed the house in such a way that enclosed spaces are kept to a minimum. The foyer not only introduces one gradually to the living area but also functions as a display area for the flyer's many memorabilia including medals and the boots he wore while flying! Curved walls of the foyer themselves have been provided with display space.
Since the house also receives frequent guests, it had to be able to accommodate people effortlessly. Responding to these requirements, the living area has been divided into formal and informal sections to the left and right of the foyer and there is enough space to seat visitors and also a guest bed room in the ground floor. The kitchen, the master bedroom and a common bath room could also be placed in the ground floor as the site is nearly 10,000 sq ft in dimension. The huge landscaped garden adds to the charm of the house.
Letting air and light in
"I like to tap natural elements. Skylights and courtyards are part of my design principle as they let light and air in," says Lakshmi pointing to the cleverly placed vertical strips in the wall that let sun light stream down. The domed skylight bathes the steps of the open pooja with a warm glow during the day and the bright red lamp shades hanging from the circular beam illuminate the area during night. The circular beam is easily the leit motif of the house.
The climb to the first floor has an imposing Buddha placed in the niche of the wall looking benevolently at you. The first floor contains the Nairs' daughter's bedroom and a study. A jharokha in this bedroom with pretty peep curtains looks down into the dining area. It adds an oriental touch to the decor and also allows "communication between me in the ground floor and my daughter in the first floor" smiles Shree Nair.
The steps leading up to the first floor from the corner of the living area are done up with non slippery marble. With a hint of yellow they are very pleasing to the eye and look and feel rich. When the rest of the house doesn't have marble why this indulgence on the steps? "Since I intended to cover a portion of the floor with carpets, and furniture would take up some more floor space, I felt it was not necessary to use very expensive flooring material. Instead, we spent on things like the steps, the Rajasthani door and boat shaped pelmets," she says.
This trait of practicality is seen in the design of other areas also. While it would have perhaps been more aesthetic to have a sit out from the master bedroom in the ground floor, the Nairs decided to forego the option. As the Head of Operations at a school, Ms Nair is now free to dash out to work without having to lock one more door up. Even though the house built in 2008 and situated in Halcyon Defence Enclave measures 35 squares, it looks cosy and not ostentatious perhaps due to the use of vernacular principles.
"I don't believe in applying make-up to a house in terms of cladding, etc and feel that elevation of a house has to evolve gradually," states the architect with 14 years of practice and oodles of passion. "When a client says I am happy in this house, I feel gratified" she confesses and Shree Nair is one happy client.
"Despite the tragic loss of my husband recently, I continue to live in this house and am thankful everyday for this wonder," she says.