Bangalore Houzz: This Home Celebrates Light, Brick & Floating Balconies
This spacious family bungalow in Bangalore draws inspiration from the vernacular architecture of Kerala
Nadezna Siganporia
29 July 2018
Houzz India Contributor. Nine years ago, I jumped into the world of freelance writing. It combines my love for this art form and the ability to carve my own path. I have extensive experience in content development and creative writing predominantly in the fields of design, décor, interiors, architecture, travel, food, lifestyle, art and culture. My work has been published in Lifestyle Asia India, Houzz India, Elle India, Elle Decor India, India Design ID, Lonely Planet Magazine India, Conde Nast Traveller India, Square Inch by Ogaan Media and Beautiful Homes, among others.
Follow me on @nadezna_s (Instagram/Twitter).
Houzz India Contributor. Nine years ago, I jumped into the world of freelance writing.... More
Dominated by earthy terracotta and the play of light and shadows created by the corbelling of the exposed brickwork, the Corbel House was envisioned by Lester Rozario and Smruti Kamat, principal architects and founders, Kamat & Rozario Architecture. They kept in mind the client’s desire to bring a touch of the family’s Kerala roots into their Bangalore home. “To interpret and adapt traditional concepts into a contemporary idiom, without aping, is most challenging. The celebration of brick and light, floating balconies was our way of doing this,” Rozario says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, two kids and visiting grandparents from both sides of the family
Location: Bangalore, Karanataka
Year built: 2018
Size: 339 square metres (3649 square feet); 5 bedrooms; 5 bathrooms
Architectural and interior designers: Lester Rozario and Smruti Kamat, principal architects and founders, Kamat & Rozario Architecture
Photos by Niveditaa Gupta & Lester Rozario
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, two kids and visiting grandparents from both sides of the family
Location: Bangalore, Karanataka
Year built: 2018
Size: 339 square metres (3649 square feet); 5 bedrooms; 5 bathrooms
Architectural and interior designers: Lester Rozario and Smruti Kamat, principal architects and founders, Kamat & Rozario Architecture
Photos by Niveditaa Gupta & Lester Rozario
Taking note of the vernacular architecture of Kerala, the architects zeroed in on a few of its key features, such as “verandahs that wrap around living spaces, the appearance of a heavy masonry base on the ground floor, with thick arches and carved columns, and a first floor which appears in a lighter material palette and overall treatment.” These elements inspired the facade of the building.
Two sides of this structure are covered in exposed brickwork walls that gently come outwards to meet the windows in the middle. This effect is achieved by the extruded bricks that are pushed out more and more, starting from the outer edge inwards. This extrusion brickwork is another form of brick corbelling.
“The earthy terracotta colour is a direct reference to the materiality of Kerala architecture,” Rozario explains. The light metal balconies that wrap around the front and back of the structure were imagined as contrasting features to the heavy brickwork.
Two sides of this structure are covered in exposed brickwork walls that gently come outwards to meet the windows in the middle. This effect is achieved by the extruded bricks that are pushed out more and more, starting from the outer edge inwards. This extrusion brickwork is another form of brick corbelling.
“The earthy terracotta colour is a direct reference to the materiality of Kerala architecture,” Rozario explains. The light metal balconies that wrap around the front and back of the structure were imagined as contrasting features to the heavy brickwork.
“The biggest challenge in the project was to correctly construct the corbelling of the bricks within the exposed brick facade,” Kamat says. “The entire concrete frame of the house and all the internal walls were built first so that there was no damage to the exposed brickwork during construction. The depressions in the wall, formed by the corbelling, create an interesting texture on the inside, which ties the spaces together.”
Another prominent element of traditional Kerala architecture are carved columns. “We fashioned these contemporary versions using metal sheet, cut out to match the silhouette of a traditional column and placed as a cross. They frame the front of the house and sit on a large continuous overhanging balcony,” Rozario says. The front of the home opens on to a quiet street while the rear looks over a park.
The layout of the ground floor has been kept simple, with open spaces. The main door leads into a living area that seamlessly flows into a family room, a dining room and a kitchen at the back. This floor also houses two guest bedrooms, occupied by the couple’s parents when they are visiting.
“The use of materials for the interiors was also inspired by those seen in traditional Kerala homes. The combination of cane screens with teak wood is an attempt to add that element of nostalgia to an otherwise minimal interior,” Kamat says. The deep blue of the sofa works to lift up the terracotta hue of the wall behind it.
“The use of materials for the interiors was also inspired by those seen in traditional Kerala homes. The combination of cane screens with teak wood is an attempt to add that element of nostalgia to an otherwise minimal interior,” Kamat says. The deep blue of the sofa works to lift up the terracotta hue of the wall behind it.
Partially hidden behind a cane and wood screen is the family room that shares a material palette with the living space. “The continuous, almost monolithic granite floor helps accentuate the open ground-floor plan,” Kamat says. The pattern formed by the corbelling of the exposed brick is cleverly used to form accent walls in each room, and it obviates the need for any other heavy embellishments. Aiding in ventilation and flooding the room with natural light and greenery are expansive sliding doors that fold back completely to let in the outdoors. The back garden was imagined as an extension of the park beyond.
The family room flows into the dining area with a semi-open kitchen at the rear of the house. Notice the simple brass detailing on the custom-made dining table that mirrors the detailing on the concrete-finish wall behind, adding a sleek touch to the rawness of the material palette. In the kitchen (visible beyond the dining space), the exposed brick wall is complemented by a black granite backsplash and matching countertops. Streamlined wood cabinetry and island work to infuse the space with warmth.
Coming back to the living room, another feature that floods this space with light and air is the skylight atop the adjoining open-plan staircase area. Continuing with the simple material palette, the architects made good use of this zone by fitting it with storage cabinets.
The first floor includes a family area and the private bedrooms. The couple’s master bedroom at the rear of the house looks out on to the back park while individual bedrooms for the children look out on to the front street.
The first floor includes a family area and the private bedrooms. The couple’s master bedroom at the rear of the house looks out on to the back park while individual bedrooms for the children look out on to the front street.
All the bedrooms feature an exposed brick wall, which works as an accent wall. Throughout the house, the masonry is done in a Flemish bond. In this style of bricklaying the short sides or headers alternate with the long sides or stretchers of the bricks and face outward. Viewed from within here, the progressively extruded header bricks create correspondingly deepening recesses. “As the brick gradually corbels outwards, its negative imprint is seen on the inner side, almost as an acknowledgement of the drama outside,” Rozario says.
Both the children’s rooms open out on to and are connected via a long overhanging balcony that features the same columns as the ground floor. “The main exercise of designing the plan as an outward-looking structure was to take full advantage of views,” Kamat concludes.
Read more:
Bangalore Houzz: This Home Balances Principles of Vastu & Good Design
Noida Houzz: A Bungalow Gets A Country Villa-Themed Modern Upgrade
Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.
Read more:
Bangalore Houzz: This Home Balances Principles of Vastu & Good Design
Noida Houzz: A Bungalow Gets A Country Villa-Themed Modern Upgrade
Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.
What are you working on?
Related Stories
Indian Homes
Vadodara Houzz: A Modern MultiGeneration Home Where Less Is More
This minimalist home by Dipen Gada & Associates is all about maximising convenience and clever space use
Full Story
Indian Homes
Actress Kangana Ranaut's Home Is Dreamy & On Top of the World
Expansive, sun-lit, earthy & filled with restful spaces, this mountain holiday home designed by Shabnam Gupta is an idyllic cocoon
Full Story
Indian Homes
Mumbai Houzz: This 5-Star Flat Is Crisp, Luxurious & Homely All At Once
Plush palettes, bursts of colour and functional forms enliven this apartment by Whitespace
Full Story
Houzz Around the World
Houzz Tour: This Home's Clean Aesthetics Are Inspired by Muji
Minimalism and children can coexist as this apartment shows
Full Story
Indian Homes
Chattarpur Houzz: A Swiss-Inspired Weekend Getaway Near Delhi
Designer Sanjyt Syngh converts a pre-built structure into an Alpine yet modern retreat
Full Story
Indian Homes
Mumbai Houzz: An Art Deco Bungalow Gets a Crisp Scandi Makeover
The Nordic-style interiors by Kunal Barve are inspired by the homeowner's love for Scandinavian design
Full Story
Indian Homes
Surat Houzz: Greys & Browns Come Together in a Home Like Never Before
Cement oxide ceilings, native materials and natural wood grains make this bungalow by Studio Course a force of nature
Full Story
Indian Homes
This Multi-Pavilion Celebrity Home Fits Together Like a Jigsaw
Separate master, kids’, guest & living blocks make filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's holiday home by Studio PKA a king-sized experience
Full Story
Kitchen Guides
Colour Me Black: A Kitchen Undergoes a Dramatic Transformation
Genius storage, a one-of-a-kind island and a 7-metre planter wall – step inside this striking black-and-timber kitchen
Full Story
Indian Homes
Mumbai Houzz: The Most Warm & Inviting Home You'll Ever See
ns*a Architecture and Interiors redesigned this apartment to maximise open spaces and minimise visual clutter
Full Story
hey ! unique design !! very touching can see your involvement 100% keep it up Great & neat job .
Interesting external look. As mentioned Kerala hardly use any brick work
now or for the last few decades. Perhaps the grandparents can remember the old and traditional Brick walls. The interior is simple. Blue sofa and cushions etc. doesn't match as they are not complementary shades. There should have been more Art on walls and other artifacts in many places.
Anand Channar - Kochi
artist & Art consultant.