In Indore, a home clad in yellow stone stands out from the crowd
Courtesy :architecturaldigest
In Indore, a home clad in yellow stone stands out from the crowd
Called the Yellow Stone House, Span Architects’ latest project in Indore has a facade clad in the golden material. “The entire elevation has a few vertical surfaces of walls that incline at angles taking it away from the two-dimensional world of drawing. This in turn helps to capture a sensation of movement over in a static state,” Arpit Khandelwal, the co-founder at the architectural firm says. The structure, almost frozen in movement embraces the concept of light and ventilation with large openings, transparent surfaces, and shadow play.
The 3,923-square-foot, 5-bedroom bungalow designed for three generations living together, splits into three levels and has its public spaces accommodated on the ground floor, with the living areas on the upper storeys.
Indore Home: Public Areas
A yellow stone wall and a champa tree welcomes guests at the entrance. The gates open up into a huge parking area in the front and a grand stairway, decorated with sculptures on the left which leads to the main door of the building.
The vast parking area also functions as a multi-utility area capable of hosting a small crowd, or even a makeshift recreational zone. The unobtrusive service area planned on the same floor supports the functionality of these spaces without intruding on the private spaces on the floors above.
The lobby has two grand chairs with dark blue velvet upholstery and a circular window that looks out to the landscape and the grand stairway, with a beautiful grill pattern of the Tree of Life. The shadow play during the day falls elegantly over the panelled wall behind the seating. Continuing the same experience in the office, the interior for the space is inspired from earthy colour with interior plantation creating a soothing environment for working.
Upstairs, on the first floor things get more personal.
Indore Home: Living Room
On entering the first floor, one is directed towards a compact drawing room that opens out into a spacious terrace. With half of its walls in glass, the room creates a feeling of infinity with a vision to the horizon. The interiors of this room have yellow stone walls, wooden ceiling, and nature-inspired dark green fabric colours. The terrace garden is also shared by the ‘bedroom that opens up to a very lively part of the neighbourhood
The design of doors here is also done with the same design concept; angular pivot doors seem to be heading towards the sky. Supporting the vision of design the paintings are also inspired from nature with bright colours.
Indore Home: Bedrooms
The main bedroom was planned facing the front to provide connectivity with the busy neighbourhood and a landscaped terrace for when one needs tranquility. The wooden flooring, earthy brown tints and shades combined with green landscaping create a soothing environment. A light-making shadow pattern creates a play of shadow and light on the recipient wall, on the other end.
A large opening towards the west balcony brings in the natural light creating evening shadow hues of the setting sun. A standing balcony, visually connected to the terrace below, makes a contemplative vantage point. Nature-inspired paintings become the focus point in the room and complement the earthy colours of the wooden floored interior. The attached washroom of the main bedroom also reflects the same design approach with large openings, green spaces and wooden finishes.
Colour continuity is ensured in the son’s bedroom with yellow laminates and a grey bed. An adjustable study unit allows the room to adapt to the son’s daily schedule. A balcony with a hanging chair builds a setting to unwind after.
Indore Home: Courtyard and Temple
The heart of the home is filled with a beautiful staircase and a double-heighted internal courtyard finished with the same yellow stone. Every other space or activity revolves around this vertical volume. This courtyard also houses a puja room, secluded from the chaos of daily routine. A circular window connects the temple to the courtyard with a grill design in the form of a pair of geese.
The courtyard is a beautiful sanctuary by itself, with the adjacent spaces being the most engaging areas for the residents. The walls of the staircase taper in the same fashion as the openings and the elevation facade. The suspended stairway floats around the stair wall with creepers cascading across the yellow cladding.
Indore Home: Terrace and Bar
The addition of a bar and a semi-open terrace garden on the first level also allows the family to host and entertain friends with the evening cityscape as a backdrop here.
“With the location being within a residential setting with low-rise buildings in the surrounding, having a platform looking over the cityscape was a gem for this home,” Khandelwal feels. A common terrace with a bar provides an interactive space for occupants which was a common requirement for the master and son’s room. Its orientation to the west lets the occupants experience the beauty of the changing surroundings at different intervals, ranging from birds chirping to the fog that sets on the glass canopy (supported with steel strings) and the sun setting against the skyline of Indore.
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