Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Apr 22, 2025

A Modern Indian Brutalist House With Artistic Touches

A Modern Indian Brutalist House With Artistic Touches

A brutalist home in India with a blend of modern architecture & traditional Indian interior elements. Featuring open living spaces & a unique staircase design.

Combining a raw brutalist composition with softer Indian interior touches, this fabulous home design is a dramatic blend of modern architectural principles and traditional Indian typologies. Created by talent at The Grid Architects, this unique house was designed for a small entrepreneurial family with a creative mindset.

Aside from running a thriving business, the client is also a poet, while his son is a keen wildlife photographer. Built on a plot of approximately 12,000 square feet, the large property was shaped to provide a simple, functional home. A minimalist material palette of concrete, natural stone, and teakwood provides a modest interior base for ornate Indian elements and art.


With a southwest-facing plot, the brutalist house exterior had to be shaped to protect its interior from the searing sunlight and heat. An overhanging canopy was inspired by the mysterious visual of an Indian woman shading her face from the sun under the folds of a pallu or odhani.



A bold red sculpture pulls focus near the back door of the home, contrasting brightly with the green landscape. To prevent the architectural envelope from appearing too bulky and disproportionate to the main volume of the home, the protruding case was cut and staggered.



The skewed profile of the canopy gives the structure a visually light result, whilst achieving deep shade over the windows.



The sliced frontage also creates three cantilevered levels. Various sized terraces are pocketed beneath the canopy to benefit from the blissful shade, most of which feature lush greenery and flowers. The simple entryway tucks under a concrete canopy. It features a three-metre-tall door that is drawn outward and embedded in stone. The entry door welcomes guests into an impressively long passageway with living spaces arranged along the left and a waiting vestibule on the right.



The deep overhangs protect not only the fenestration from direct sunlight, but the outer walls from heat gain.



The architectural concept was finalised after studying the sun-path.



The concrete walls of the home are textured by timber, which provides added visual interest without disrupting the honesty of the material.



The property, named Beton Brut (raw concrete in French), employs the uplifting colour and freshness of plant life both inside and out. Because of the region’s predominantly arid climate, drought-friendly plants were selected for the southwest-facing terraces. These hardy specimens encourage an influx of beautiful butterflies and hummingbirds to the outer terraces too, creating wonderful biodiversity.



As we move inside of the home, we discover a magnificent double height living room. Board formed concrete continues to share textural interest here, and provides a cool grey backdrop for the warmth of rich teakwood furniture. Living spaces are focussed towards the garden to establish a consistent link with nature.



A highly decorative Jharokha makes a stunning contradiction to the simplicity of the brutalist concrete structure. The opening overlooks the large living room below, creating a close connection between two levels of the home.



The intricacy of the Jharokha design is complemented by traditional carved artwork on the opposite side of the room. Many decorative pieces in the home are reclaimed from old Havelis, mandapas, and vessels to instil an authentic Indian essence into the home.



Interior windows create more links between levels and capitalise on natural light from every direction.



The staircase design features open wooden treads to achieve a light balance with the bold concrete surroundings.



Colourful artwork and round portholes add intriguing details to the ascent.



Up on the landing area, glass balustrades allow the unique staircase design to be taken in fully without obstruction.



A courtyard grows at the base of the stairwell. The indoor plants were selected to aid in maintaining the moisture level of the interior.



Two stairwell skylights welcome in sunlight throughout the day. One, a linear slit-like opening near the wall and the other a glare-free roof lantern. Dramatic lightplay falls over the textured concrete to create a dynamic setting.



Upstairs, wildlife photography brings colour and life to the master bedroom design. The restrained material palette of concrete, sandstone, Kota stone, and teakwood continues in the bedroom spaces to secure a calmly cohesive interior aesthetic throughout.



A teak platform bed features a floating headboard design that leaves the floor space looking clear and uncluttered. High-shine Kota stone floor tiles reflect the furniture outlines, creating a dreamy, watery effect. Pretty planting welcomes the homeowner outside onto the shaded terrace.



Striking planters, a comfortable lounge chair and a small side table fashion an inviting reading area.



On the ground floor and site plan, we see how trees have been positioned strategically around the property so that when they flourish, they will protect the house from the southwesterly heat.



The garden is situated to the west.



Once the floor plan was finalised, it was important to ensure that sunlight coming in from the southwest was controlled to shelter the home from harsh climatic conditions.



Car parking is arranged in the cool confines of an underground garage.



The architectural form creates a duality of light and shadow, which also enhances the board formed texture of the concrete.



The home design communicates a great sense of space that brings the family together without jeopardising individuality.



Areas of congregation are interspersed with places of solitude to provide a sense of freedom and luxury.



Despite its assertive geometric forms and powerful monolithic appearance, the home contains an emotive heart.

Check out the home tour video:



Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Nightlife in the streets of Manchester
In God We Profit
Cultural Battles in the Vatican: The Candidates in the Battle for the Holy See and Pope Francis's Testament
Global Leaders Pay Tribute to Pope Francis Following His Death
Wild Chimpanzees Observed Bonding Over Alcoholic Fruit
US Federal Reserve Chair Issues Warning on Tariff Impact
UK Prison Officers Demand Electric Stun Guns Amid Safety Concerns
China, China, China!
Australian National Charged as Mercenary for Fighting in Ukraine
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Prince Andrew Joins Royal Family Attends Easter Sunday Service at Windsor Castle
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
Trump is assembling a coalition of Western leaders aligned with the MAGA vision, strengthening a unified front for global change
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Here’s a police officer with a brilliant gift for swift education
"Some complain that we put thousands in prison. In reality, we set millions free."
This is Vienna, Austria in 2025.
Boeing Jet Returns to US from China Amid Tariff War
Canadian Federal Election: Candidates' Positions on US-Canada Relations and Donald Trump
Resentencing Hearing for Menendez Brothers Who Killed Their Parents Delayed Amid Legal Disputes
Australian Woman Gives Birth To Stranger's Baby In IVF Mix-up
US Sets Deadline for Russia-Ukraine Peace Deal Brokerage
Italy Introduces 'Sex Rooms' in Prisons for Inmates
California Launches Legal Challenge Against Trump Administration's Tariffs
"Groundless": China Dismisses Zelensky's Claims It's Supplying Arms To Russia
UK Psytrance Festival Cancelled Amid Local Protests Over Noise Concerns
French Far-Right Writer Renaud Camus Denied Entry to UK
UK Police Force Updates Search Policy for Trans Individuals in Custody
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Meets with Donald Trump to Discuss EU-US Trade Tensions
Canada's Federal Party Leaders Engage in Final Debate Ahead of General Election
Ukraine and US Sign Outline of Minerals Deal
Fast Food Chain Refuses to Apologize for Online Comment About Katy Perry's Space Voyage
New York Attorney General Letitia James Faces Criminal Referral for Alleged Mortgage Fraud
Mark Cuban admits support for Trump executive order: ‘Gotta be honest’
US Senator Meets with Deported Immigrant in El Salvador Amid Custody Dispute
U.S. State Department Raises El Salvador’s Safety Ranking, Making It Safer Than France and Other European Nations
UK Government Assumes Control of British Steel's Scunthorpe Plant Amid Shutdown Threat
UK MP Wera Hobhouse Denied Entry to Hong Kong During Family Visit
Bangladesh Issues Arrest Warrant for UK MP Tulip Siddiq
China Urges United States to Cancel Tariffs Amid Escalating Trade Tensions
The Empire’s USD Pyramid Scheme Is Working Brilliantly—So Why ‘Fix’ It?
China Raises Tariffs on U.S. Goods to 125% Amid Escalating Trade Dispute
Elon Musk Reports $150 Billion in Projected Government Savings Amid Fraud Investigations
U.S. and Panama Finalize Defense Agreements Amid Canal Access and Chinese Influence Concerns
China Stands Firm Amidst Trade Disputes with the US: A Factual Analysis
U.S. Tariff Escalation Sparks Global Trade Tensions
Helicopter crashes in NYC with four people on board.
Australia Dismisses China's Suggestion to Collaborate Against US Tariffs
EU Postpones Response to US Tariffs
×