Embraced by Nature

Wright Inspires believes nature changes the way one works, thinks and creates and it forms an integral part of everyday life — beautifully reflected in the Ambara House they designed in Bengaluru.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Yash R Jain; courtesy Wright Inspires

The site

Ambara House designed by Wright Inspires in Bengaluru is a warm and welcoming home which according to the design team represents a puzzle with 1,000 pieces — which is slowly pieced together to make all the spaces come alive. The colours are vivid, the design sparks uniqueness and an ingenious glass sky-light at forty odd feet steals the show. “In the context of where the site itself is located, achieving an atmosphere of serene calm inside Ambara, which sits within the busy-bustling city of Bengaluru, seemed almost pretentious and borderline fictitious, but to do so convincingly was no mean feat,” explains Prathima Seethur, principal architect, Wright Inspires.

The design intent

The area of the site being compact with namely three abutting neighbouring plots, the main idea was to bring in light from the central sky-light. One can gaze into the sky from the oval (as it is fondly called by the design team), and watch the clouds slowly sail by while sitting in the comfort of the home.

The material palette

The design sees a wide range of natural stones and materials in its construction: kota and Jaisalmer stones is used as flooring, pink magadi stones feature on the basement walls, all the wood seen in the house is recycled, and terracotta and brick are also used in some areas. “One omnipotent and omnipresent element in this project is light. Unlike the other materials that are stationary, the beauty of light is that it’s dynamic, we see new patterns every day and so it brings life to the spaces we design,” says Prathima.

The design highlights

As one walks into the home, the charlatan sun posing as a chandelier above the spiralling staircase is the first eye-catching element. This makes the big ovular sky-light the centre of this house. The use of natural materials such as terracotta jaalis along with exposed brick walls, recycled wood and raw pink stone gives the home an earthy feel. The structure as a whole adapts to the semi-tropical climate of Bengaluru while also being sustainable and green. An example of such adaptivity is the oddly shaped, amoeboid basement which stays relatively cooler compared to the surrounds. The first floor boasts a playfully meandering terracotta filler slab which is quite the architectural marvel. The windows to the west of the home are angled to block the harsh evening sunlight, and allow a beautiful view of the children’s playground around the corner. The facade of the home is sheltered by trees, a rather common feature in most of the homes built by Wright Inspires.

The eco-friendly features

The house has solar panels for energy and heating water — it uses a large number of LED lights and has a huge underground tank for rainwater conservation. Ambara by principle does not have a borewell as extracting groundwater is inconsiderately bad for the environment.

Fact File

Project: Ambara
Location: PP Layout, Bengaluru
Area: 2,720 sq ft
Principal architect: Prathima Seethur
Structural consultant: Manjunath & Co
Civil construction: Balaji Constructions
Electrical works: Kashyap Electricals