Architecture Wednesday: Krishnan House

The site of the Krishnan House is over 16,000 square feet, with several exiting trees, so the architects at Khosla Associates created a low-slung house to accommodate the surroundings. There are locally sourced Mangalore tiles on the roof, with rough-cut Shira stone clad and polished Kota and Teak floors throughout.

The living room soars with 25-foot ceilings; its verticality is emphasized by large floor-to-ceiling windows and large overhangs to protect against the harsh afternoon sun while horizontal timber louvers provide for natural cooling.

The living areas open to a wooden verandah overlooking an internal courtyard garden; almost all the spaces on the ground and first level flow into the garden. The central feature of the living room is a burnt orange spiral staircase sculpted out of steel with housing timber treads.

The spatial flow takes into consideration the family’s requirement of segregating public and private space. The ground floor has living, study, dining, puja, or worship space, home theatre, two kitchens, and two guest rooms; the upper level has 3 bedrooms, yoga and meditation spaces, and a family room.

On the garden side, the study and the living rooms flow into their respective verandahs around a large pebbled fishpond. An existing tree emerges from the water and is uniquely framed by the shape of the house on either side and by pivoted vertical timber slats as a backdrop that gently separate it from the home’s entrance.

It’s probably one of the most peaceful homes I’ve seen, with the gardens and trees and the pond, but so vibrant on the inside. Plus a library and a movie theater? Yeah, I’ll take it.

Floorplans ... click to emBIGGERate ...

Khosla Associates