Homes
The Auburn Studio composes a spirit song of tropical Balinese architecture inside Bengaluru wedding villas
MAR 6, 2024 | By Virender Singh
When Sushmitha Ramesh, principal architect and founder of The Auburn Studio, was offered a 3,200 sq ft nuptial haven along the fringes of Jayaprakash Nagara in Bengaluru, her design response was immersive. Veiled by leathery ficus and indomitable palm trees, where the susurrus of flowing water is a steadfast accomplice, these open-plan twin villas had to “transcend the realm of mere construction and transport individuals to the essence of a tropical holiday destination.”
In its previous lifetime, the family estate held a thriving nursery, aligning effortlessly with the typology of Balinese courtyard homes. Discernible by sloping thatched roofs that overhang their eaves, earthy monotones and a profound reverence for nature, Sumatra is an amorous hideaway where exchanging conjugal vows feels like a primeval rite of passage.
Influences of Bawa
During her brief stint with hospitality projects in Sri Lanka, Ramesh was spellbound by Geoffrey Bawa’s timeless duet of vernacular craftsmanship and European Modernism. This philosophical infatuation attenuated her own palette, translating to a minimalist creative identity that favours eco-conscious building practices and locally sourced labour. Admittedly, corralling the right tradesmen who could handle distinct areas of expertise proved to be a Herculean endeavour. “Each individual brought a distinct perspective and this intricacy of managing diverse viewpoints added a layer of complexity,” Ramesh confesses.
Silhouettes of fluidity
Huddled in a U-shaped symmetry, the identical suites house two bedrooms each, a capacious living area that segues effortlessly into a utilitarian kitchen and dining space. Panoramic sliding doors and windows dissipate the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, while a lily-smothered pond clasps either villa, rife with shape-shifting reflections. A fleet of cement stairs ascends from the garden towards the stereobate platform, whereupon by playing hopscotch on stepping stones, one is promptly traversed outside the threshold.
Materials du jour
Cool grey hues embark upon the walls, pivoting around the inherent textural nuances of exposed concrete, overlaid with a cement finish from Pondicherry. Upon entering, the coconut wood trusses shouldering a high-pitched ceiling of Assamese bamboo mats instantly take centre-stage. Whether it be sun-dried adobe dwellings along the Brahmaputra valley or balé pavilions dotted all across the Indonesian archipelago, traditional masons have sworn by bamboo’s thermo-resistant qualities for countless generations. A honey-dew warmth radiates from the living room furniture, hand-carved in teak by local artisans and imbued with eloquent accents of rattan, visually congruent with the nativist theme.
Planks of Kalimarudhu wood frame the kitchen window, repurposed from Chettinad heritage homes, ushering in wayward sunlight through mahogany-hued louvres. The spartan bench-style seating, organic light fixtures from The Purple Turtles and indigenously sourced IPS floors stitch together a tableau of togetherness and relaxation.
Sustainable elements like cane and reclaimed timber are integrated across the property, through custom-made furniture. In the master bedroom, wicker panels adorning the walnut wooden cupboard exude a tactile richness. To lend continuity, Indian Patent Stone floors seep in as well. Set against the feature wall of exposed rubble and draped in pristine linen sheets, the chestnut-coloured bed with its coarse jute headboard acts as the pièce de résistance. Relaying a sense of homegrown comfort, the second bedroom is lit by these showstopper banana fibre lamps, imparting clever sophistication to the ambience.
Need of the hour
“In the wake of the post-COVID era,” shares Ramesh, “outdoor intimate weddings have witnessed a surge in popularity.” Completed in 2023, this Elysian arbour exemplifies how the dialogue between physical spaces and their context is an ever-evolving one. In the vein of Bawa’s tropical modernism, Auburn Studio worked with and not against the surrounding environment. Reinforcing its time-honoured ligature with motifs of water, lush flora and in-situ materiality, Sumatra coalesces as a paragon of connubial bliss.
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