His Hideout by Sukanya Balaji Architects

On visiting the house, my first instinct was to hide the staircase and cutout the slabs to bring in some light. The load-bearing structure also suggested that the additional upper floor must be in-line with the existing walls. All doors and windows were to be retained, an extra car porch was needed and the utilities to be expanded. Two-dimensionally, the need for privacy was to be primarily addressed in: The location of the staircase, Marking the dining area in semi-private zone, and Ensuring privacy in bedrooms. Three- imensionally, the public-private zones had to be demarcated by: Shading the sitout, Adding a foyer before the living area, Bringing a partition between living and dining areas, & An entrance door to the vertical circulation core.

Aesthetically, the street view offered a stunning angular view in the location. The addition of one more floor ensured to produce a smart mass that would attract the eye. Therefore, it could be ornamental and indicative of the overall quality of the residence. Ideally, it also had to symbolize a “happy hide-out”

The lady of the house was particularly keen about not letting the monsoon inside but she agreed to the idea of indoor gardens and play of light. It begins with the tropical plants in the dining area which are adorned by a circular sunlight which shall also becomes a passive sundial within. Further, a double-high stairwell garden is wilfully hidden behind the dining area from where all the private spaces are accessed. The first floor is entirely private with two bedrooms, a living area, home-office, home-theatre, utility area, balcony and an open terrace. Each area is an intimate solution to different lifestyle requirements.