Abhilash House by De Square Architects

• Firm Name:-De Square Architects, Bangalore
• Principal Architect:- Ar. Naveen G.J
• Location-Bangalore, India
• Typology:-Residential
• Text By:- Ar. Kritika Juneja

Spread across 1200sqft, this home located in Bangalore, India and designed by De Square Architects, has been segregated into levels. Located in the center of the building, the staircase has been the most striking feature, dividing the structure not only into two halves but also into levels. The landings lead to different levels of the house, creating a sense of volume inside. The difference in levels also creates an interesting scenario for the elevation where the rooms appear to be stacked boxes.

Getting into levels with a total seven of them, the first level consists of parking, which is below the road, whereas level two is the first landing after parking. This level houses the dining room, the kitchen, and the parents' bedroom. There is an indoor garden with a skylight beside the dining room with an open kitchen.

On level three, you will find the entrance and living room. This level is 5' above the road and directly above the parking. Located on level four are the family room and the master bedroom. The family room opens to a balcony garden and is given an extra 15' of height. With the staircase on one side and the balcony on the other, the room looks very spacious. An exposed brick wall on one side also adds to the rustic charm. Further, level five is 15’ above the road, having the kid’s bedroom. This room is projected outwards and is made to look like a mass of bricks being pushed out from the building.

The next landing level six, which is 20' above the road, houses only a bedroom due to the extra height of the family room. On the last and seventh level, the bar with a rustic exposed cement finish opens to a balcony with a Zen garden.

As James Gleick rightly said: “Simple shapes are inhuman. They fail to resonate with the way nature organizes itself or with the way human perception sees the world.” Therefore, its elevation resembles a composition of randomly stacked cubes. The interior mixes woods and whites while forming a cohesive whole.