The living area, kitchen and other spaces at ‘Panchavati’ seamlessly flow into each other. Also, elements such as skylights and a terrace garden add to the cool quotient of the house, writes K R Srikanta Prasad
This home has been designed for a large joint family. On a visit to ‘Panchavati’, the home of Prapulla and Aruna Kasthuri, you will be heartened to see an extended joint family system in place, and a happy one, too! The beautiful home that houses a large family is situated on a 2,400 sq-ft-site near Kathriguppe, Banashankari 3rd stage in the City. This site has roads on two sides, the east and the west, and has a steep slope of almost 16’ from east to west!
“When the couple approached me with their unusual requirements on an unusual site, it was both challenging and interesting. I had to cater to their spatial needs and also utilise the level difference effectively and to advantage. After the design was finalised, we ended up getting one large mezzanine extra, thanks to the natural gradient!
That came in handy for a library and a home theatre. On the whole it was all about managing the available volumes intelligently,” says Jayashri Kireeti, the architect who designed the house.
“We needed large spaces that are well connected with a smooth flow and above all, some space for greenery. We needed an uncomplicated house easy on maintenance. All our requirements have been met at ‘Panchavati,’” says Aruna.
As you enter, you will see a small garden and a mock well built with stones. It is actually a rainwater charging facility. There is a spacious jagli with fixed seating. Stepping into the house, you will be led into a living space with a double height and a skylight, dining, an open kitchen, utility space and a well-decorated puja room. All these spaces are connected and cater to the needs of the large family and also for group activities indoors.
There is a large bedroom at this level. There is a centralised well-designed staircase that takes you to the first floor and to the lower floors.
The first floor has all the bedrooms with toilets and balconies. There is one mid-mezzanine floor that is about half the plinth area. This is the general exclusive space for the family entertainment, library, computers and indoor games. The lowest floor that is actually at the lower road level on the western side comprises of a large garage.
This also functions as a multipurpose space like a gym, games room, etc. The optimisation in design has helped cut costs and also enhance the utility of spaces. There is no space or corners that are unused or termed useless.
The home is simple, elegant and practical. The external walls are built with blocks of stones and bricks as a composite masonry. The flooring has light coloured vitrified tiles.
The house has excellent ventilation with large windows and skylights.
The design also provides quiet corners. The house owner has a passion for terrace gardening and the terrace has been efficiently utilised for this purpose. This terrace garden keeps the house cool too.
Some houses beckon you to make a second visit and ‘Panchavati’ is one such home.
(The writer is a consulting civil engineer.)
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