THE CENTRAL COURTYARD HOUSE

Private Residence near Mysuru

Inspired by the courtyard houses of the region on the outskirts of Chamarajanagar town, this private residence for a large inter-generational family is a contemporary interpretation of a vernacular building tradition. The client’s erstwhile residence was a courtyard home and the family had adapted to a way of living organized around the central courtyard. For the new home, the family desired to maintain this modus vivendi while delicately infusing it with the image and luxuries of urban living.

We stepped in only when the ground floor slab of the new home was being casted, leading to a complete overhaul of the original plans. The existing ground floor was repurposed as rental homes, with the main house beginning at the first floor. This was made possible by structural maneuvers that necessitated demolishing a few existing columns and using an array of floating columns to support the new structure.

Exposed concrete finishes, brick cladding, wood and white painted plaster form the material palette for the exterior composition. The texture of the brick cladding connects the home to its surrounding context composed mainly of traditional courtyard houses with clay tile roofs. A large imposing brick-clad wall shields the house from its immediate neighborhood while still maintaining visual connection through a carefully proportioned opening.

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