This Chennai house and studio is designed for an artist couple who work with mixed media & textiles, respectively. “Tiered Realm” draws on the visualization of ‘home’ not just as a dwelling for two individuals but also as a space for one’s work & community – a world abuzz with creative energy and the spirit of the individual finding meaning within the collective. The home was conceived as a container for the dynamic dance between work and life. It is also the celebration of collaborative artistic processes, and long-standing friendships.

The house studio project is situated in Ambattur, on the outskirts of Chennai. It is a neighborhood representative of sprawling Indian suburbia. Along with brightly painted 2-3 story houses occupying tightly apportioned plots of land. “Tiered Realm” deviates from the typical ‘BHK’ format, its burnished brick façade unfolding gently upwards from the street along the west edge of the site. Thus, this Chennai house conceals a tapestry of interwoven spaces united by a communicative vertical void.

Editor’s Note: “With its burnished brick façade and tiered concept, this residence in Chennai weaves a tapestry of interconnected spaces united by a communicative vertical void. Careful planning positions the staircase as the central hero, binding the residence together. The blend of workspace and living quarters creates a captivating narrative through varied materials and textures.” ~Simran Khare

This Chennai house and Studio is for a Textile and Mixed Media Artist Couple | Fictional Project

Neat and Clean Planning

The realm of work meets the street, generously opening along the edge, ushering one into the Chennai house. The ground floor features a space suitable for large-format work and accommodating larger groups, with an attached storage area neatly tucked away towards the rear.

The indoor garden that runs along the North-south axis roots the open core of the building, illuminated by a skylight along the north edge of the roof. Light from above washes across the multiple spatial layers to varying degrees, revealing the connectedness between spaces.

The staircase is a vital seam stitching together the many realms of the house that gradually cascade upwards through split levels of varying proportions. The landings expand to alternatingly form zones for work, rest, and recreation.

Staggered Gallery

The act of stepping the volumes results in conversations crisscrossing through the realm of work, where each space also acts as a staggered gallery to its neighboring workshop across the core. The workshop for mixed-media work is the largest, with subtle mediation along the west edge to filter the daylight entering the space.

The workshops for textile art run along the eastern edge, implying the twin nature of the artistic process, which thrives as much on collaborative work as it does on spells of individual rumination. The open workshop below accommodates elongated worktables. Whereas the space above is enclosed with a system of wooden shutters, creating a retreat akin to an atelier-like nest.

Moreover, the realm of residence crowns the house with a compact kitchen that can gather near and dear for a meal. The penultimate landing of the staircase expands into a living area and a private bedroom with a balcony along the west. The social, celebratory realm caps the house in the form of a terrace with stepped seating overlooking a lake in the distance, a space for get-togethers at the end of the day.

Material Explorations

Material explorations bear further testament to the spirit of artistic collaboration. A restrained palette of hardy IPS flooring unites the workshops, while handmade Athangudi tiles enliven the residential spaces. The pigmented plaster surfaces of the internal walls derived their shades from consultation with the artists and the respective functions of the spaces.

Workspaces feature lighter shades, while areas designated for rest and repose adopt darker hues that embrace shadows. A sliding door is crafted from recycled wood. It reuses wooden ceiling & column ornaments from older constructions to form a welcoming collage along the street edge.

Moreover, the bands of brick laid in differing configurations imbue the street-facing façade with composed animation. Thus showcasing the wealth of craftsmanship native to the land. The brick skin is a skilled expression of a series of relationships that continues inward. Thus reflecting the nature of the artist’s mixed-media explorations.

Fragmenting the whole and layering it anew to discover new relationships could very well be the most relevant metaphor for the architectural process. This allows each “tier” to be a realm unto its own within an interconnected whole.

Fact File

Designed by: Fictional Project

Project Name: Tiered Realm House and Studio 

Location: Chennai

Year Built: 2023

Project Size: 3500 Sq.ft

Principal Architect: Chinchukumar Sreekandan

Photograph Courtesy: Syam Sreesylam

Design And Execution: ChinchuKumar Sreekandan, Julie Ann tharkan, Francis Kurian, Naina Johnson

Graphics And Design: Madhu S murthy

Graphics: Hiba Farsanah Hanif

Program / Use / Building Function: Artist Studio and Residence

Source: ArchDaily

Firm’s Instagram Link: Fictional Project

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