Brick Veil
Anchored in a serene neighbourhood of Bengaluru city, there stands a unique work of
architecture snugly tucked into a quadrilateral plot of land. The uniqueness of the architecture lies in its simplicity of form and palette, tastefully moulded in brick cladding and liquid stone to ideally suit the streetscape of the surrounding locale. Taking inspiration from its striking brick materiality that largely envelopes its elevation, the building is aptly called Brick veil.
The 4-story abode elegantly towers over the landscape and faces the Southern skies in all its earthy glory. Its warm appeal perfectly complements the moderately-cool climatic conditions of a high-altitude city like Bengaluru.
The building also showcases a strategic play of vertical surfaces with an unpolished finish that adds an organic charm to the architecture. The 3-dimensional element of the building gets further emphasized in the form of idyllic spill out balconies slathered with lush landscapes along the edge, seen on the upper floors. The planters complement the terracotta cladding, giving the impression of a fresh vertical garden.
Portions of the building facade also showcase brick jaalis that facilitate privacy and re-engineer the quality of natural light entering into double-height communal spaces in the abode. Likened to functional art forms, the jaalis aesthetically uplift the building inside and out.
In line with the simplicity of the facade, the building sweeps across the landscape in an orthogonal layout. The journey into the property begins from the stilt floor layout that accommodates a spacious parking lot for four cars, a home office and a home theatre. The habitable spaces start to unfold in the higher floor levels, accessible via an elongated pedestrian staircase that offsets alongside the building leading towards the entrance threshold from the street level. The ground floor level accommodates the communal activities of the home, including a living, dining and kitchen, and one guest bed & bath. An exploration of double-height spaces commences from this floor plate via strategic staggering of upper floor levels.
The first and second floors accommodate the more private spaces sacrosanct to the home anatomy, with bed & bath spaces occupying the Southern and Northern facing pockets of the layout and an informal family living/bridge that is centrally located.
A healthy social-life balance is key to the city kin, and an alfresco terrace on the second floor creates just the right space for entertaining. With spacious cast-in-situ seating and bar space, the terrace becomes conducive to a lovely social get-together.
A tasteful blend of simplicity and artfulness trickles into the interior compositions of Brick Veil. The base canvas of the interiors comprises brightly whitewashed walls and soft beige marble floors. Interior layering of accent and feature elements begins to personalize and add character to each space like decorative wallpapers and fluted wall paneling.
Furnishing and artful decor pieces add to the final touch, like statement light fixtures, mid-century modern furniture, and soft monochromatic palettes specific to each space. Texture-rich additions like rattan, suede tufted beds, timber false ceilings, and hardwood flooring; bold pops of accents in rust and toasty browns altogether enhance the experiential signature of Brick Veil.