STUDIO PRAKRUTHI

A ground floor apartment, in the midst of a busting neighborhood in Bangalore, Apartment V is a temple-like oasis. The Interior Architecture embodies the style of a contemporary Indian Home.  

 

The space is designed for one inhabitant - a collector of south-Indian antiques. The design intent was developed as a response to the client’s traditional south-Indian way of living. This, we stitched together with sensibilities of a contemporary minimalist interior. The primary intension with spatial planning was to create a visual distinction within the hierarchy of privacy one desires in a dwelling, without compromising on the feeling of openness. The entrance Foyer opens into a large formal living room, adjacent to which is a semi-outdoor spill out space- an extension of the front garden. The formal living and outdoor space are both visually connected to a home office which leads into more private spaces such as the dining, family room, kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom. The more private spaces are visually disconnected from the foyer, formal living and front garden. 

 

The Interior engages with the cityscape selectively. Controlled natural light is invited into the space. The afternoon north light is refracted into the home by the raised west wall made from glass blocks, fashioning pleasantly lit afternoons at the formal living room. On may enjoy the front garden by lying on the planter’s chair and looking up to the undercover foliage of an aged Gulmohar tree on the sidewalk of the adjoining road. 

 

The Interior Architecture of the home is a response to the home owner’s material collection of South-Indian temple wood rafters, columns etc. We recycled the wood rafters to create an ambient lighting system that runs through the circulation of the house, a 3-way use from the entrance, master bedroom and kitchen. The decorative wood columns bring balance to the open plan and elongate the height of the space. All the doors are made from damaged pieces of wood rafters – sliced and fixed together. 

The material language of the interiors has a connection with land. Concrete floors, mud plaster cabinetry paneling, white marble skirting and recycled teak wood rafters set the tonality of the home. The use of natural brass and copper in the home seen in lights, fittings, hardware etc behave like the jewels that add lustre to the home.   

 

The atmosphere of Apartment V is an embodiment of the Indian way of living – of finding comfort in shade, whilst being visually connected to the city and the natural environment. An enjoyable contraction between expanse and limits.