- Area: 370 m²
- Year: 2007
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Photographs:K. Senthil Nathan
‘Sriash’ residence is pure urban house. The design spring from staircase as a tree that bears fruitful spaces. The modest entry welcomes us to the one and half height volume of guest living space. It leads to five steps level of family living, kitchen and dining space. Steps/ staircase is embryo of the house. From family living level you climb ten steps, it opens to home theatre. From that mid level, you climb again it opens to study space and links to two children bedrooms. From the study space you could look down to the family living.
The formal guest living space at ground level opens to urban court, which means that setbacks and compound walls could be modulated into courtyard. The urban court brings privacy from road and the same compound wall becomes water fall wall from inner.
The double volume family living opens to green court which is more personnel for family members. Same way dining space opens to mural wall. The eight feet ht. sliding doors are melting point of the interior and exterior spaces. The spacious master bedroom too opens to court. At first floor level the children bedroom opens to terrace, the terrace being north east side it becomes shade place in the evening for play, chitchat and party.
The materials (stone, exposed concrete, wood) used are more pure in modern and elegant living. To us modern means not contemporary / life style but Timeless. The aesthetic comes from monastic caves and simple living.
In technical function aspect, the thick composite masonry of stone and brick brings the inside climate of the house more uniform through out the year. The green court acts as lungs of the house. The eight feet ht. sliding doors in living space opens for northern light. The thick flat slab makes the structure with invisible beams.
The state of the art home theatre is done with acoustic proof and controlled light into the space. All the service pipelines are merged within inner walls/ ducts. The service pipelines become veins of house. The exterior lights are connected with solar power to utilize the natural energy resource. Separate rain water sump collects all roof level rain waters which used for gardening. The sustainable living of house is been achieved by placing every single space / openings / materials under meticulous planning and execution.
The organic nature of Tree is vital concept in residential architecture.
Every space should grow and become part of people and vice verse.
