Concept

Concept

This is a proposal for two residences for two brothers in Vellore. The proposal embodies a tropical inspired architecture that comprises clean, elegant forms that simultaneously cater to the hot tropical climate through the design. The residences themselves are tall and consist of five floors each, but the verticality is subdued by the introduction of extensive cantilevered projections such as decks and large open terraces on the exterior of the buildings. These projections also act as shading devices against the heat. The interior is rendered fresh and open by subtracting volumes of space to create double height spaces and open areas to give light and ventilation. The floors have a very fluid planning that incorporates a flow from space to space within the house that extends to the outside balconies and decks. Every floor has a different arrangement of balconies and open spaces that provide a distinct experience and a different character while navigating each successive floor. Though independent, the two residences are connected together by a series of balconies. The first floor of both the residences are connected by a bridge that acts like a common landscaped area as well as a light and wind tunnel to the adjacent rooms on the upper floors. In order to accentuate the horizontality of the design, strips of stone veneer clad the balconies and the decks are clad with wooden panels. Tropical Terraces incorporates stark horizontal forms that are juxtapositioned in a way to create pockets of landscape and openness with a materiality that provides a clean, tropical outlook.