©Gayathri Shetty and Namith Verma
Designed in three blocks over 1.5 acres in the center of Bengaluru, facing Bellandur, one of Bengaluru’s largest lakes, the house on the waterfront by Gayathri & Namith Architects (GNA), is a home owner’s pride and designer’s delight. How else can one describe this masterpiece of architectural design, that encapsulates the site and its context beautifully, bordering modernity and tradition? The materials, especially glass, weave a mesmerizing story of the home that is both enchanting and striking.
©Gayathri Shetty and Namith Verma
Glass, as the primary narrator, first exhibits itself in the double-height interior water court, a central element in the design, accentuated by a glass skylight on top. The pitched glass ceiling of the skylight emphasizes the verticality of the court, which permits light to filter through to the hung paper chandeliers. On the opposite side of the courtyard, there is a higher-level dining area and a kitchen, amongst other spaces.
©Gayathri Shetty and Namith Verma
One then encounters the staircase, one of the most beautiful features in the interiors. The cascading staircase is a blend of materials that exhibit warmth and beauty, showcasing itself as a sculptural centerpiece. A large granite block creates the first flight of the stairs, and the mid-landing as a glass piece/block reflects the sheer beauty and strength of the material. The use of glass in the staircase extends in the form of a clear-glass railing running along with the wood-clad steel steps in the subsequent flight.
©Gayathri Shetty and Namith Verma
Glass cubes designed to operate as extensions of the childrens’ bedrooms showcase the creative use of glass in the exteriors. These bedrooms have skylights, where glass captures the north light and creates captivating patterns resulting in a playful atmosphere. In one of their bathrooms, a well-positioned glass wall provides views of the lake from a strategically placed tub. While in the bathroom linked to the home cinema, an innovative hung-unit of glass washbasin conceals the plumbing and reflects its creative use in interiors. All the rooms capture the view of the lake, except the kitchen, which has a unique feature of a glass wall behind the main counter slab, where the natural light is brought inside from the lawns, while also being shielded by the extended pitched roofs.
©Gayathri Shetty and Namith Verma
At the ground level, the living rooms have floor-length glass windows that offer unobstructed views of the lake. They open up towards the swimming pool and mirror pools, another element to seamlessly integrate the lake into the design of the house. A striking effect is achieved by the glass railing at the edge of the house and the lake, which blurs the line between the inside and outside while aligning itself as a part of the whole.
©Gayathri Shetty and Namith Verma
Materials and experimentations, capture the essence of the site as well as the functional requirements of the users, thereby reflecting both the warmth of a home and design aspirations. Glass acts as the narrator of the story, taking us through views and illusions, telling stories of spaces. As it winds through elegantly from dawn to dusk, glass, complemented by wood and stone finally comes to rest at the banks of its natural counterpart- where both paint a beautiful picture of harmony and grace - the vision of the house on the waterfront by the Bellandur Lake.
©Gayathri Shetty and Namith Verma
Shiza Christie is an Architect - and Urban Designer, an observer of the phenomenon of time, and forever enchanted by the power of words. Read More
