How could this plot of land be maximised for space, light, and comfort within its tight urban confines?
A home with Scandinavian sensibilities, tomorrow's technology, and a steel-concrete construct.
Urban homes come with their limitations. We all know that. This project was in the idyllic lanes of Mysore but had an inherent challenge that would define everything else that followed.
The plot was surrounded by buildings on three sides, making it a tight space that had limited light and only one face that could be used to express its design while maintaining privacy. These factors lent a certain direction to what we had to accomplish.
All white, all light.
We chose to focus on light, and how we could fill the space with it despite site constraints. Our explorations led us to solve for everything else.
We planned this home to have a cohesive functionality with two zones:
Common Spaces
The living and media room were mapped out as expansive open rooms that used the courtyard and staircase as an extension of themselves.
Private Spaces
In contrast, private spaces were built to be more enclosed to reflect the function of the space, ensuring privacy, safety, and providing an ideal environment for rest, all while maintaining a sense of lightness through its white palette.
And a courtyard seamlessly connecting them, which would also be the primary source of light in the house.
The enclosed courtyard, with its expansive glass roof, functioned as a large skylight, letting in sunlight and filling the common space of the living, dining, and media room with natural light. This two-level section of the home was connected by a sleek floating staircase.
The two blocks of the building are built with different techniques due to the spatial constraints imposed by the site.
Steel
Concrete
The materials within the home were utilised in unconventional ways.
Vertical circulation is established through a floating staircase designed to match the minimalistic, monochrome palette of the project. The steps themselves are open treads made of folded metal plates and marble molded to profile, cantilevered from a concealed metal beam.
The stairs were structurally supported by a metal beam running inside and an SS cable acting as an invisible grill — a design element lending itself to the open and breezy design of the common area.
The tech within
Automation has been an integral part of the design in this project, assisting in day-to-day living and light control.
First of course, we looked to the light. The glass roof of the courtyard area was wired to slide open, letting the pleasant light into the home.
Our last tech integration was invisible unless activated.
The interior bay window overlooking the courtyard was made of switch glass — clear or opaque at the press of a button.
The all-white interiors were given texture with panels that offered tactile and visual relief throughout the space.
The interplay of these with the other materials used within resulted in a contradicting but cohesive expression - all in monochrome and teal.
We built privacy features for the common area.
The wide-open living and dining was equipped with built-in screens that slides to enclose the space for a more traditional living area as needed; it aids in transforming the space into naturally ventilated or mechanically ventilated, as per the need.
The finished structure is a bastion of clean lines and bright light.
The Teal Cube is an evolution of modern homes, and an example of materials, automation, engineering and innovation coming together to create a solution that is minimal.
In a plot that has no space to spare for an outdoor area, the Teal Cube brings the outdoors in and makes it the core focus of life within.
