Fernandes House

We were commissioned to design a spacious 6 bedroom residence on a 10,000 sft. plot with basement parking, a pool and a well sized garden. The Fernandes’ requested an unfettered flow of light and air through the entire house.

The house is situated in the heart of Bangalores commercial district so it was essential to provide a sense of calm. The constrained views on the north and east of the plot prompted a design that was L shaped, facing the south western lung space created by the garden, the swimming pool and a large shady rain tree.

All the bedrooms on the lower and upper level step out into a deep verandah and overlook the main lung space. Each room has a good view as well as adequate cross ventilation.

An innovative detail are the round columns that support the tiled roofs of the verandahs on both floors. Chiseled out of blocks of locally available grey Quera stone, they have steel arms that diagonally transfer the load of the roofs to the ground.

Natural local materials such as dressed Quera granite, polished Kota stone, and lime green slate have been used to generate contrasting textures for walls, columns and floors.

The architecture of the house is climate and context-sensitive. Skewed sloping vernacular tiled roofs with large overhangs combat the heavy monsoons, and the sweeping expanse of covered verandah protects the house from the fierce south sun.