Nestled in lush coconut and areca tree plantations with the mighty Savandurga Hill – one of the largest monolith hills in Asia – framing its backdrop, Ksaraah is a weekend retreat in rural Bengaluru, India, that reimagines living in the embrace of nature. It aims to foster a direct connection with the outdoors, sans boundaries, while still sheltering its inhabitants – a creative professional and her family.

The primary design challenge was to create a built environment that would belong within its context – one that would blend, harmonise, and inspire, rather than shock and dominate. The design intervention, therefore, ensures minimum deviation from the existing landscape, while providing a space with limitless opportunities for the users to thrive in.

The two-storeyed primary residence, an interplay of volumes and voids, is perched atop the site's highest level, framing views of the farms that lie on the horizon. Resting weightlessly on a set of two loft, bevelled arches, it creates expansive column- and wall-free spans with deep overhangs. The ground floor hosts communal spaces like the living, the dining, and a sit-out area that are seamlessly entwined with nature; the master bedroom and its ensuite bathing chamber and a private study lounge occupy the first floor.

The spatial arrangement is specifically directed to traverse amidst the landscape, blurring the boundaries between the built and the unbuilt. A sleek, exterior staircase connects the two levels next to a pool – the epicentre of the residential quarters – its backdrop marked by a feature stone wall. The wall creates a three-dimensional site partition and marks the transition between the private and public functions of the house, while unifying the visual narrative. 

More than just catering to the needs of its inhabitants, Ksaraah aims to address the needs of the local community. The design is focused on creating adaptable, multi-use, congregational spaces to bring people together and to foster activities and conversations. The idea to humanise, equalise and spiritualise holds strong.

The design intervention was consciously limited in terms of changing the landscape or the natural occurrences within the site to ensure that the processes of shrishti (creation), stithi (sustenance) and samhara (dissolution) continue without any interruption.