Wednesday, May 23, 2018

A narrative of Sharada (the office)

As you approach the Sharada, the first sight that you would probably see would be the many mango trees - which surrounds the house from all directions. You would probably also notice that you don't see straight walls - there probably isn't even one parallel to the compound walls. With Mangalore tiles, balconies and terraces, what you will see is a house that was designed to suit the context it is built it in - Horamavu - the mango orchard.


If you are walking in on an extremely sunny day, step in through the gate, and you would instantly feel the shade of the trees. The leaves form beautiful patterns with their shadows on the floor - the patterns being something you would probably notice through the house - whether it be the light falling through the glass Mangalore tiles or the patterns the stairs form as you look up at the glass opening above the staircase

Are walls really necessary to divide the house into different spaces?

As you enter the house, through its little porch - you would be greeted by a floating wooden staircase - this, I would say  is another element along with the trees that the spaces in the house are arranged around. Walls and doors are limited.
Here, levels, angles and within that seating units, steps, and bookshelves divide the spaces between eachother. In the summers, when the mangos are in full bloom, just step into any of the multiple balconies and terraces that is connected to each room and there! they will be right there for you to reach out and pluck. Levels divide the spaces into each living spaces. The dining and kitchen form one level, the living - the next, the bedrooms the next.

Well, along with being a part of the office that designed the house, I am also a part of the office that functions in the house.  From the entrance porch level , step down into the  lowermost level of the house - and you would get into a space that while being a part of house, feels detached from it. Open the door here, and you would be led to garden which takes you back to the outdoors. The office space - so, ideally positioned - functions here.

Come over to the office one, I could show you around!

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