TechnoArchitecture designs a tranquil home in Bengaluru

A smart cocooning strategy shields the space from the surrounding urban chaos.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Shamanth Patil J

The Mantle is TechnoArchitecture’s response to creating a serene, quiet environment on a busy Bengaluru street. Majorly, the cocooning strategy is formalised as a courtyard that allows nature into the enclosed space as well as introduces a tempering layer between the frenetic city pace just outside and the tranquillity inside.

Programmatically, the stilt area accommodates the car park, home office and staff quarters; the sound level houses the common facilities and the first and second floors take care of the bedrooms and the home theatre.

Owing to the design brief and in response to the tight site context, the intuitive thought process — which also felt like the most obvious one — was to let nature be the guide in designing the spaces and to let it penetrate the built environment. “We tried to bring in green wherever we could, create green amidst buildings wherever the space demanded,” says Rajesh Shivaram, principal architect of the firm.

The facade of the built-form is informed by the green landscape of the site’s surroundings. The design team strategically chose a colour and texture palette that, while making the building stand out, would not subdue the peaceful setting. “Concrete in its raw textured form adds to nature’s green,” says the architect. “The two materials also enhance each other with mutual grace when lit up.”

The approach, through a narrow street, leads to a generous arrival port surrounded by a water body. From here, stairs lead to a foyer and a voluminous living space that, at first sight, appears more of an indoor-outdoor area as it is bordered by a large courtyard that lets in a light generously while maintaining privacy. The living space is the centre of the house where most energies reside, overlooking the dining and the kitchen spaces.

The master and the kids’ bedrooms have been placed along the south wall. The central spine houses the stairs which terminate in a skylight bringing in fresh natural light through the day. “The sequencing of spaces was derived from the functional patterns of the household activities,” informs Rajesh. The terrace floor is reserved entirely for entertainment, and features landscape areas and a bar counter.

The colour palette of the interiors is muted, with spurts of colour and textures in grey, teakwood and ochre — a scheme that strengthens the feeling of being amidst the certainty and security of nature. The spaces have been composed in a manner that retains the warm Indian vibes of the furnishings. The warm white of the walls becomes a perfect backdrop for the melange furniture sourced from various places. The light walls compliment the white marble flooring and grey texture paint, which are perfectly balanced by the touch of green infused by the plants.