Embracing nature and culture: the harmonious oasis of the Otla House

In the rich tapestry of architectural heritage, there are a few elements as integral and evocative as the otla and aangan. These traditional Indian design features deeply rooted in cultural and climatic considerations offer a unique blend of functionality and aesthetics. Designed by the principal architects of Mumbai-based We Design studio, Saahil Paarikh and Nupur Shah, the Otla House in Bengaluru is a testament to the possibilities of architecture where nature, culture and human needs unite in perfect equilibrium.

The core of the Otla House; the courtyard pulsates with life, becoming the focal point of the entire residence. Bridging the inside and the outside are a series of verandahs conceived as one huge porous entity, serving as a transitional space. Capped in glass from floor to ceiling, the verandahs have a visual and cultural connection. The 10-foot-tall windows act as an extension of the living spaces, allowing one to enjoy views and the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

To explore the orientation of the house, one must enter the home from the northeastern verandah. A wooden log marks the main door to its west and separates the breakfast area from the entrance verandah. The main door is eight feet wide and ten feet tall and leads to an entrance lobby with a glimpse of the central courtyard. The public areas like the living, dining, guest room, kitchen, study, entertainment, and lounge are placed around the courtyard on the ground while the family bedrooms are on the first floor. A folded concrete staircase design connects the two floors.

The Indian architecture and design studio imbibes an open-ended ground-up process depending on the needs and preferences of the clients when approaching a design brief. "When the clients first approached us, they mentioned that they grew up in old colonial homes in Delhi. Hence, homes with central courtyards and verandahs reminded them of their childhood days and that they would love to go back to their roots. They were also keen that the new home should be fully vastu compliant. The main focus was on how one navigates through the home and the way each space connects with one another," mentioned Saahil Parikh, principal architect at We Design Studio, in an interview with STIR.

Residing in the heart of Bengaluru, the house demonstrates a perfect response to its environment. The placement of the courtyard acts as a natural ventilation system and its open-to-sky technology adds protection from the climate. The courtyard is covered with motorised wooden louvers that respond to a change in weather. The lowered canopy has sensors on the roof where a water-tight membrane locks into one another. The verandah and courtyard act as great solar passive features and keep the main spaces protected from the sun and rain. Solar heaters have been deployed on the roof ensuring efficiency in energy consumption. Rainwater pits in every corner of the site ensure optimum use and reuse of water for flushing and landscape purposes. Bengaluru enjoys mild weather all year round and the semi-covered spaces become as important as the covered ones.

Design and aesthetic integration is an intuitive approach for the Indian architects Nupur Shah and Saahil Parikh. They are naturalists in the sense that they believe in the limited use of materials. Clean lines, minimalist forms and the use of local materials create a sense of tranquility and sophistication. The house has been built in brick and concrete and finished in cut-polish concrete. It is a finish that is very popular in the southern part of India and Sri Lanka. The interior material palette comprises shades of white, grey, brown and black. A cement terrazzo tile runs across the floor of the house. The verandahs are finished in a graphite black tile. All doors and windows are finished in Burma teak. Pops of colour are integrated in the form of art, accessories, area rugs and tapestries.

“The choice of colours, textures and materials are carefully curated to create a cohesive composition that celebrates the essence of the locale. Natural light is the protagonist in the theme that runs across the house whilst certain design ideas have been experimented with as highlight features. The curtains, for example, are designed and treated differently in every room,” said Nupur Shah, principal architect, We Design Studio on the theme of the Otla House. 

We Design Studio has been creating stand-alone bespoke villas for the past 12 years. The Otla House project is their first in the city of Bengaluru. ‘Beauty lies in its simplicity’, explains the design philosophy of the studio. The designers focus on creating deceptively simple solutions that are seamless in experience and expression. They have an abiding interest in austerity and simplicity and believe that there lies an inherent sensuality in building with restraint, order and control. They strive to achieve an organic product that is befitting its purpose and environment and is defined by the rightness of what is and the richness with which this is experienced. 

When STIR asked the duo, which space did they enjoy designing and what they found challenging, they said, “The powder bathroom was the most challenging and also the most interesting space to work on. It was challenging because it is the only land-locked space in the home that does not have any natural light coming in. It has been treated as the belly of the beast; a dark and cozy cigar room of sorts. It is finished in a walnut veneer.”

Ascetic in approach, the architects, in the use of sustainable and indigenous materials, and that the buildability and materiality of each project, have an impact on how they would like the home to shape up. These are the principles used across their projects. “The home rings true to our core philosophy of designing and building in harmony with context, climate and culture. The use of a limited material palette ensures cohesiveness and seamlessness across all the spaces. There is always learning from each and every project, it is an evolution and enables growth for us. With this project, we learned on the scale and sizing and what can be optimum to achieve lavishness,” Parikh and Shah told STIR on their experience of working on this project.