Madura is a residential project inspired by the client’s ancestral home in Kampli, Karnataka — a small town near Hanpi known for its traditional mud and stone houses. The challenge was to recreate that familiar feeling within the dense urban setting of Bangalore, where the family now resides. The design includes two separate three-bedroom homes for siblings, connected by shared public spaces.
Situated on a 3,000 square foot plot, the design team chose to stack the two residences vertically to optimize the footprint while preserving privacy and independence for each unit. Both homes face east and strictly adhere to the principles of Vastu, a traditional Indian architectural guideline.
The design concept focuses on integrating the architectural space with the surrounding landscape. Both residences feature living rooms that overlook gardens—the ground floor hosts a garden, while the first floor includes a secluded courtyard. These outdoor areas double as overflow spaces during gatherings and events.
Upon entering, visitors are welcomed by a front yard and parking area paved with randomly scattered Sira stones. The east-facing garden of the ground floor residence centers around a “Tulasi Brindavan” (Holy Basil plant), which serves as a natural focal point.
Public areas such as the entrance hall, living room, dining room, prayer room, and kitchen are aligned parallel to the garden’s linear extension, ensuring a strong connection to the lush greenery and inviting warm Eastern sunlight. Bedrooms overlook terraces and gardens on both sides, enhancing the indoor-outdoor experience.
The first-floor residence is similarly designed around a closed landscaped courtyard featuring tiered seating. The hollow clay walls and sloping clay tile roofs with glass inserts create dynamic patterns of light and shadow throughout the day, bringing the space to life.
The third floor combines open and semi-open spaces beneath a sloping clay tile roof. This terrace level serves as a public area with a separate entrance, surrounded by plants and including a storage room with seating. Additional amenities on this floor include a home theater and gym, making it a versatile zone for gardening, yoga, outdoor movies, relaxation, and social gatherings.
Soil and stone are the primary materials used to evoke the simplicity of the ancestral home while promoting environmental sustainability. The design team employed alternative building technologies and materials to minimize the carbon footprint.
The construction utilizes unburnt soil blocks (compressed stabilized earth blocks – CSEB) and prominently features exposed hollow clay blocks. The roofing incorporates innovative techniques to reduce concrete usage, including filling board technology with hollow clay blocks, which provide excellent insulation by limiting heat transfer.
Additional roof structures like brick-built Jack Arches and domes further enhance thermal comfort. The residences showcase a blend of Indian stones, including Syrah granite used for rustic gravel walls and floors laid in herringbone patterns, yellow Jashamel stone, rough and polished Kota stone, and black granite with a leather finish.
The vibrant yellow oxide walls serve as eye-catching feature walls, complementing the yellow Jashamel stone flooring. Imprints of surrounding plant leaves adorn these walls, highlighted with subtle soil tones, creating a seamless extension of the outdoor landscape.
The exterior design reflects the materiality and forms seen inside, presenting two distinct residences that appear unified. Straight architectural lines contrast with the rhythmic curves of the Jack Arch, while the steeply sloped roofs add a playful and dynamic character to the facade and outdoor spaces.
Project Drawings
▲ First Floor Plan
▲ Second Floor Plan
▲ Third Floor Plan
▲ Roof Plan
▲ Sectional View
▲ Sectional View
Project Information
Architect: Design Kacheri
Area: 4,300 ft²
Year: 2023
Photographer: Arjun Krishna
Design Team: Nidhish Kurup, Chaitra Saraf, Alex Paul, Arhata Jain, Mouleeswaran R
Contractors: Deepak and Ezhumalai
Interior Decoration: Drisha Jain
Editor: Rohan Ullatil
Video: Anand Krishna (Ramasya Films)
Music: Pawan Krishna and Walt Adams
Structural Consultant: Sigma Consultants
Location: Kanpur, India
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