Located within the compact urban fabric of Bangalore, Brick House is a residence designed for a family of three. Its distinctive presence is defined by an earthy brick envelope and a vivid orange tone that differentiates it from the surrounding buildings.
The house is organised around a full-height, south-facing jali wall that acts as both environmental filter and spatial mediator. This perforated brick screen reduces the impact of harsh sunlight, reinforces privacy, and produces changing patterns of light across the interior. Slightly detached from the main volume, the outer skin creates an open-to-sky cavity where rainwater descends to a garden strip on the ground floor, establishing a continuous dialogue between inside and outside.
Constructed entirely with wire-cut bricks from Malur laid in rat-trap bond, the building uses material and technique as environmental tools. The system improves thermal regulation while also accommodating electrical conduits with efficiency.
The programme is clearly divided between public and private uses. The ground floor is conceived as a generous social domain, incorporating a bar and an open recreational area for entertaining, while the upper levels contain the family’s more secluded living spaces. Sliding doors opening toward the jali enhance ventilation, lightness, and permeability in the gathering areas.
Above, the spatial sequence becomes more introspective. Semi-private devices such as balconies, internal openings, and a gallery landing maintain visual and social continuity among family members without compromising retreat. Variations in ceiling height intensify this domestic experience, alternating between double-height spaces and more compressed, intimate zones. The material contrast between exposed orange brick and smooth black granite further strengthens the house’s spatial coherence.
A freestanding white staircase connects the upper residential levels and operates as a sculptural object within the composition. Detached from the walls and enclosed in glass along the south side, it becomes legible from the exterior as a stark monochrome figure against the brick mass. A narrow roof slit brings daylight into the stairwell, heightening the project’s atmospheric character.
Through its careful use of brick, filtered light, and sectional transitions, the house constructs a domestic environment defined by climate responsiveness, privacy, and spatial continuity.
