What if a home could let you see the world outside without always being seen? That idea forms the heart of Thirai, a compact Bengaluru home designed for a young family on a 30 ft × 40 ft plot in Sarjapur. Named after the Tamil word for “screen”, the home uses a perforated facade to filter sunlight, encourage cross-ventilation and create privacy.
The home tour shared by Buildofy in a YouTube video on August 7, features Bhooma Balaji, Principal Architect at Studio Sienna, Bengaluru, who explained the design philosophy behind the project. (Also read: Step inside Japan’s ‘tiniest house’ where a couple lives comfortably in just 19 square metres using clever design tricks )
A home designed to ‘see without being seen’
“Thirai means ‘screen’ in Tamil. To see without being seen, Thirai refers to the perforated screen on the facade. It is a response that says, I want to see but not to be seen when I choose so,” Bhooma says. The house sits on a 30 ft × 40 ft plot with a road on the west. The western facade became an important part of the climate-responsive design, with the screen helping filter sunlight while maintaining a connection with the street.
“The couple with a young kid and a growing family wanted a space that will be clutter-free, where the kids can run around and play. The project is in a fast-growing urban area on the outskirts of Sarjapur,” she says.
The first-floor living room opens into a double-height balcony overlooking the street. A large metal opening frames the view, while angled ferrocement walls help block harsh sunlight. “Thin long ferrocement walls are angled at 45° to block the harsh southwest sun,” Bhooma explains.
“Between these walls are perforated aluminium sheets which cross-ventilate the house while casting beautiful shadows throughout the day.” Circular skylights above the balcony bring natural light into the double-height space, creating changing patterns of light and shadow throughout the day.
Flexible interiors and earthy tones
The interiors have been kept minimal, with the living room designed to provide plenty of movement space. The kitchen and dining area span much of the home’s width and receive cross-ventilation through the utility balcony. A small pooja nook opens into the space. The children’s bedroom on the second floor features a small balcony and flexible furniture.
“We’ve tried to keep the furniture flexible. It has a sofa-cum-bed and can accommodate more guests if need be,” Bhooma says. The room can also evolve as the family’s needs change. Its balcony overlooks the double-height balcony below, creating a visual connection between the two levels. The master bedroom occupies the width of the house and includes a walk-in wardrobe and attached bathroom.
Green pockets appear along the staircase and throughout the home, adding softness to the compact layout. The interiors and exterior follow a restrained palette of brown, beige and green. “We have used a colour palette of brown, beige, and green both on the inside and the outside to tie all the spaces together,” Bhooma says.
With its climate-responsive facade, adaptable interiors and carefully planned openings, Thirai shows how thoughtful architecture can transform a compact urban plot into a home that balances privacy, natural light, ventilation and the changing needs of a young family.
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