This Bangalore home is crafted from the earth and sky

The sky is the star of Wright Inspires’ newest residential design, bringing the outdoors right into the heart of an urbanBangalorehome. Aptly titled Ambara House (“ambara” is Kannada for “sky”) the house is emblematic of the Bangalore-based architecture firm’s philosophy of rooting modernist design within the natural landscape. The clients happened to be familiar with the firm’s work, and were open to a radically unique approach. “It was a great opportunity to have a client who has that kind of confidence in you,” says founder and lead architect Prathima Seethur, “They are a young couple with a child, and didn’t have too many functional requirements. So we had the chance to experiment.”

The concept for the house first emerged from the idea of creating a garden at the centre of the house; while that plan was eventually scrapped, it did result in the building’s defining central skylight. The plot, which is only 30ft in width and 50ft in depth, with boundary walls on three sides, had limited access to daylight. “The sky was the only option,” says Seethur. The curved staircase was an organic progression of the design, and is one of the few structures in the house crafted in metal.Brick, stone and wood make up the primary palette, adding a variance of texture while tone is limited. These materials also allow the light to dissipate evenly across the house. Terracotta jalis and trees occlude the harsher rays of the sun, while allowing glimpses of the outdoors. “These materials make the space timeless,” offers Seethur, “The architectural language is very contemporary, and if we didn’t choose these materials, I am not sure if the spaces would look as if they belonged to this landscape."

Stairwell

The stairwell that radiates down from the skylight is where the materiality of the house comes together in all its glory. Thestaircaseitself is a fabrication of metal and recycledmattiwood, crafted to offer constant interconnectivity between the landings of the various floors, and the skylight above. Jaisalmer stone flooring adds a spark of colour, complementing the raw Magadi stone masonry at the base of the staircase. “Jaisalmer stone is like gold at your feet,” says Seethur, “It will always pep up your mood—it’s soft and easy to walk on barefoot.” While the sandstone is the only material sourced from Rajasthan, most of the other materials, including the brick that makes up the bulk of the structure are from local vendors. “The bricks are not specially made for exposed masonry, but have been crafted it so that they are finished enough to be a wall surface, but still have the rustic feel of the original material," says Seethur.

Living Room

“Ambara is a very open house,” explains Seethur, “All the spaces in the house open up right at the main door.” To the right is the living room, which features an interplay of wood furniture and pastel fabrics. “Interior design is too personal,” says Seethur, “We need to leave it to the client, because finally they’re the ones who have to live there.” Still, the exposed brick and wood tones have commanded the design concept to a significant degree—the furniture is sleek-lined and contemporary, in keeping with the home’s modernist aesthetic, and the fabrics are natural in tone and texture. A handwoven rug softens the kota flooring, but ornamentation is minimal. The aesthetic of the space is essentially commanded by the structure, and consequently, the refreshing amount of light that it brings into the space.

Dining and Kitchen

The dining area is a double height space, and not so much a room as it is an open-plan encompassing the kitchen and living room. “The open-kitchen allows the person who is cooking to interact with the family,” explains Seethur. The kitchen cabinets in painted glass are one of the few interior design interventions Wright Inspires made in the project—most furniture was otherwise acquired by the client themselves. A concrete lantern by Purple Turtle descends over the dining table, accentuating the height of the space with a playful visual detail.

Bedrooms

The exposed brick structure on the upper level bedrooms are interspersed with swathes of white, complemented with flooring inmattiwood. Every bedroom is fitted with large reclaimed-wood wardrobes with pre-fabricated painted glass shutters, which set the tonal palette for the space. Cotton blinds from Aar Cee Textiles are fitted over the windows, ensuring that the earthiness of the structure continues even onto the upholstery. Ambara House happens to be very close to a neighbouring property, and so special care was taken to structure the windows so that they allowed privacy without hindering ventilation.