A series of routes and junctions, interrupted by turns and steps, entrances and exits, trees and changing vantage points, characterise Subterranean Ruins, which is a collaborative grassroots project undertaken by Bengaluru-based multidisciplinary design studio A Threshold. The architectural project has materialised on three-acre farmland, located at the periphery of Kaggalipura, a village that lies south of Bengaluru, in Karnataka, India. The structure, which comprises a series of brick walls with punctured arches providing passage to walk through, whilst also visually demarcating different portions and offering angled views through them, rightly claims its name.

Peeping through the dense tropical vegetation on the fruit orchard site, the roughly finished walls of the brick architecture appear like remnants of an ancient structure, sunk partially into the ground. The mango, sapota, banana, coconut, butter fruit, jackfruit and sugar cane trees also provide ample shade for a comfortable microclimate to ensue, hence encouraging the free usage of the multifunctional public centre by the villagers at all times of the day. While the initial brief laid out by the clients enlisted requirements for a farmhouse, this was later revised to build a space that could accommodate various functions and would not be limited to private usage. Instead, the new plan opens up space and opportunities for the local community.

The village of Kaggalipura lies close to the Bannerghatta National Park, touted as a destination for birdwatchers. Much like the national park, most of the area in this region is either home to a variety of flora and fauna or is used for agricultural purposes. The Kaggalipura village, too, is a part of this rural landscape and derives its name from the Kaggali tree or Acacia catechu.

Subterranean Ruins was not only planned to keep the topography and usage of the land in mind, but is also the result of a collaborative process undertaken by Avinash Ankalge and Harshith Nayak, founders of A Threshold, in tandem with the labourers, artists and craftsmen who inhabit the area, and the philanthropists under whose helm the project was developed. “In response to the scarcity of skilled labour in the remote area, we took proactive measures by training and involving the local workforce. This initiative not only addressed the labour shortage but also had a positive impact on the community, especially during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic. By providing job opportunities to villagers who had lost employment, we fostered a strong connection between the community and the building, enhancing its significance and relevance,” the architects shared, explaining the process of constructing the rural architecture.

While various government-led incentives, as well as personal prerogatives in rural areas, are fixated upon recreating the modernist image of urban locales, A Threshold took a different approach altogether. Instead of vying to make a monumental icon in the village, the architects chose to integrate their community architecture with the surroundings, in a manner such that the structure could contain defined spaces for usage, and, hence, become a focal point for all kinds of meetings in the village. Additionally, the structure, only partly visible from a distance, reveals itself as people come closer to it and move through its hidden routes. This helps shape an element of surprise, whilst also mimicking the intricate and undefined paths and narrow lanes that discreetly hide in both urban and rural scapes. It is in recreating such unique alleys within its space that Subterranean Ruins becomes personalised and personified into an entity that promises to become more and more familiar as time passes. The many corners and niches adorning the structure open up possibilities for atypical and personal experiences. On the other hand, its dynamic planning, outlined sans clear demarcations, helps open up the space for various people and activities, consequently emerging as a collective third space for individuals of all ages in the village. 

Right at the onset of the conceptualisation phase, the Indian architects decided to avoid meddling with the natural landscape in the area or cutting out umpteen trees. Instead, they not only decided to mindfully avoid uprooting trees but also took cues from the undulations on the site to decide upon the form of the structure. A steep four-metre level drop on site allowed space for the building to be tucked into the landscape with minimal cutting. “The idea started with multifunctional caves, tucked within the earth with its existing terrain, like unfinished ruins, planned in and around existing trees, eventually over the years becoming part of nature,” the Indian design studio shares. While the southern side sinks deeper, hence mitigating heat gain, the northern portion, open to the sky, opens up to the lush landscape on site, while taking advantage of the natural sunlight. “The rooftops are filled, lending a sense of continuity to the landscape, increasing thermal mass and keeping the spaces underneath cool, and offer opportunities for small-scale farming above,” the architects shared.

The materials used to build the structure, too, were sourced from within a 50-kilometre radius of the site. Exposed red brick was sourced from a nearby village for the walls and locally acquired natural stone was utilised for its flooring. For the mortar mixture, a combination of lime, site soil and minimal concrete was utilised. The brick walls, raw in mien, are load-bearing. While the exterior faces are roughly finished, the structure's interiors are smoothened for a more sophisticated appearance. In keeping with the project’s underlying environmental commitment, the architects utilised boulders excavated on site to build the retaining walls, and smaller rocks and pebbles were employed to build the floors. The doors, windows and furniture were made using salvaged wood from the nearby wood mill. Some other materials used in construction include cobblestones for the courtyard, which were acquired from a nearby black-granite quarry; and concrete for the floor slabs. The unique positioning of the structure, in the shade of various trees, and subterraneanly, keeps it optimally shaded, hence remitting the need for air conditioning. Additionally, the sloping site enabled the creation of the stormwater collection system on the site, which helps provide for the local fruit orchards.

Subterranean Ruins, which spans across one level, is integrated against the sloping site in such a manner that it encompasses various underground spots too. Camouflaged in the natural landscape, these spots gradually open up as one moves within the structure. The design of Subterranean Ruins includes a private section and a designated public space. The latter has been developed to accommodate various functions. From school lessons and children’s workshops to seminars, exhibitions and concerts, the open plan of the structure can flexibly contain crowds of different sizes and events of different scales. The indoor spaces can serve as guest rooms, if required.

Although visualised as an open-plan structure, Subterranean Ruins can be demarcated into four independent areas. All these different parts are connected through outdoor areas. This interplay of solids and voids balances the space. “The built-unbuilt complement each other, the unbuilt spaces in the form of voids imagined around existing trees to be used for various spillover activities. For instance, classes for local school children may be conducted within the caves, while the open courts may be used as spill-out spaces for children to eat and play,” the Indian architecture studio shares.

While the rooms are placed adjacent to each other along the spine of the structure, the open-to-sky courtyards (which also double as pathways) straddle the covered portions on either side. The landscape architecture of the project is configured such that the courtyards can easily be used as play areas or classrooms for children, nooks for artists to snuggle and draw in or exhibit their works, or for workshops to be held, for occasional stalls to come up, or for impromptu events to be heralded. The north-south orientation of the rooms, on the other hand, not only provides relaxation spaces wherein one can benefit from the evening sun but also facilitates the continuous airflow from courtyards stationed at a lower level to the higher areas. The layouts of the room provide stipulations for these areas to be used as living spaces, classrooms or exhibition galleries. Furthermore, to enhance the experience of the space, A Threshold curated the interiors with furniture, fixtures and objects that harmoniously sit against the raw finish and undulating form of the structure.

Project Details

Name: Subterranean Ruins
Location: Kaggalipura, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Site area: 8000 square metres
Gross built area:  165 square metres
Year of completion: 2022
Architect: A Threshold
Design team: Avinash Ankalge, Harshith Nayak
Client:  V S Bhaskar, V Kiran Mai
Structural Consultants: Raghvendra- Skanda structural consultants
Civil Contractor: Mohan and team
Stone Work:  Hindustan Stone work - Abdul 
Landscape: A Threshold and Divakar 
Plumbing Consultant: Pamod Kumar
Electrical Consultant: Raghupati Reddy, Abhishek J
Pottery: Ravi