The design draws inspiration from an ephemeral moment in a South Indian temple complex. As the setting sun moves across the space, the stone appears lighter and less dense. This creates a poetic and intangible relationship with the material.
Bangalore and Karnataka share a long association with chapdi, a local natural stone slab that is typically 100 mm thick. Yet its aesthetic and structural qualities remain relatively underexplored. The project brings greater attention to the material and its inherent character.
Chapdi Stone Shapes A Home + Office Rooted In Bangalore’s Traditions | Play Architecture
Stone has the least carbon footprint as a building material, making it the most versatile construction material since historical times. The traditional architecture of this region and its surroundings has reached a remarkable level of integrity and profundity by working with stone. In modern times, however, stones are often relegated to mundane functions like footpaths, drain covers, and compound/partition walls in villages. Chapdi in this project, however, becomes the protagonist.
The narrative shifts to a north-facing residential site owned by an architect and his wife, measuring 4000 sq. ft., within a picturesque neighborhood abutting a national zoological park in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. This residential layout was once a stone quarry, which, post-abandonment, was filled in to form a residential community. The site now spans 100 acres, surrounded by a series of lakes, quarries, and other residential communities.
OH HO (conceived as a home + office) explores the contextual relevance and versatility of the traditional Indian planning principle of nine squares, with the central square being an open courtyard. Drawing from this tradition, OH HO challenges and pushes chapdi‘s structural possibilities through its innovative, interlocking carpentry joinery-like approach, using stone in its purest form.
The building footprint is 36′ x 36′, divided into nine modules of 12′ x 12′ (a dimension determined by the stone’s transportation limitations), set within a site measuring 80′ x 50′. The site features a large front yard shaded by trees and a small backyard, allowing soft, diffused light and air movement from the north. The south, east, and west sides have lesser setbacks and high gabion-type compound walls (recycled from stone left over in the construction process) to provide privacy and enhance the mutual shading of the building’s primary walls from harsh direct solar radiation.
The change in tectonics and order brings about a transformation in experience, allowing the surfaces to evolve into a sleek, minimal structural system. The project removes redundancy in the design and manifestation process, resulting in an architectural expression that embodies its integrity. Foreseen as a safe haven for the couple, whose arduous journey was marred by chronic ailments, the house had to address wellness at both psychological and physiological levels. It features large openings to bring in ample light and breeze, yet maintains privacy and provides warmth when needed.
Bangalore boasts a pleasant summer in the shade and a moderately cold winter. With layers of walls and roofs, the design is more effective in providing privacy, thermal comfort, and openness simultaneously. With decreasing water systems, the building becomes an apparatus to collect rainwater momentarily, converting into an aquatic, pond-like ecosystem before allowing the water to flow along the surface and be collected in the community lake.
Fact File
Designed by: Play Architecture
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: OH HO Residence
Location: Bangalore
Year Built: 2023
Project Size: 1883.68 Sq.ft
Design Team: Devendra Kumar, Harish Thirugnanam, Joshin Rose, Nila Bharathi, Periyasamy Palanisamy, Ralbin Veniel, Senthil Kumar Doss, Shivani Saran, Suba Lakshmi
Photograph Courtesy: Archana Vikram, studio f8 & Senthil Kumar Doss
Structural Consultant: Manjunath & Co (Manjunath Bharathi Lakshminarayan)
Landscape Consultant: Genesis Landscape Studio (Priya Rangaraju)
Project Manager: JK Construction (Kumar Perumal)
Stone Construction: SS Stones (Syed Ghouse)
Carpentry And Glass: Rahul Associates
Landscape Contractor: The Tellus Enterprises Landscapers & Floriculturists
Electrical Contractor: Naveen Kumar
Plumbing Contractor: JK Construction (Lakshmanan)
Source: Archdaily
Firm’s Website Link: Play Architecture
Firm’s Instagram Link: Play Architecture
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