La Casa Roja
2010
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La Casa Roja, a house on the outskirts of Chennai, is a cost-effective and environmentally friendly structure set amid an old fruit orchard. The team designed the proposal by keeping the orchard in mind. Although the plot is long and narrow, the plan is to position the house in such a way, that it overcomes any feeling of constriction and provides privacy to a spacious backyard. The sequence of the house, starting with the entrance and public areas, proceeds to the vast back verandah, which intends to contrast the rigidity of city life and create a secluded, sheltered atmosphere.
The open floor plan made it easier to create a progression of spaces as well as organise and use a variety of elements across the structure. This in turn resulted in spaces with varying qualities, each with an individual mood. The developed design strategy responds to the climatic conditions of Chennai, whose blazing heat is relieved by a series of double-layered Mangalore tiled roofs. The interiors use elegant antique furniture collected by the clients for over two decades. Each room is distinct in that it reflects the personal preferences of the individual whose room it is, from the colours to the furnishings. A concrete tank in the backyard, that transforms into a lily pond evokes a serene ambience within the space. Thus, the goal of integrating traditional and contemporary components to produce a style that may be described as "timeless" is intentionally adopted when designing the house.