Designing a Four-Suite Contemporary Residence for Kalaburagi's Arid Climate
A Multi-Generational Home for Modern Kalaburagi
In the heart of Kalaburagi, Karnataka, a prominent business family envisioned a unique home—a contemporary residence designed to gracefully accommodate three generations under one roof. Their dream was for a low-maintenance, four-suite haven on their 4,800 sq ft corner plot. The design needed to provide private, self-contained sanctuaries for grandparents, parents, and two adult children, while fostering connection through generous, light-filled common zones.
I was in search of someone to help me out with my ideal house plan and ultimately discovered Ongrid design. Their team is highly professional, dedicated to meeting the needs of their clients, and demonstrates exceptional patience. I was ...
Project Data & Specifications
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Location | Kalaburagi, Karnataka, India |
| Plot Size | 4,800 sq ft (446 sq m) |
| Total Built-up Area | 8,180 sq ft (760 sq m) across Ground + First Floor + Terrace Headroom |
| Orientation | East-facing corner plot; primary frontage on a 30 ft road |
| Key Features | 4 Bedroom Suites, MRL Lift, Double-Aspect Living Hall, Shaded Balconies, Terrace Lounge, Rainwater Recharge Pit |
| Primary Materials | AAC Block Walls, Shahabad Stone Cladding, Exposed RCC Bands, Teak-Finish HPL Panels, Powder-Coated Aluminium Windows |
The Challenge: Harmonizing Climate, Culture, and Contemporary Design 
The project presented a trifecta of complex challenges, beginning with Kalaburagi's demanding, hot, and semi-arid climate, where summer temperatures can soar to 45°C, accompanied by dusty winds from the north-west. The design brief was clear and uncompromising:
- Climate Responsiveness: The home had to be a refuge from the heat, prioritizing natural cross-ventilation and extensive shading.
- Cultural Sensitivity: Vastu-sensitive planning was essential to the family's well-being.
- Aesthetic Integrity: These practical requirements could not compromise the crisp, modern, and elegant aesthetic the family desired.
Our mission was to synthesize these needs into a single, cohesive architectural blueprint—a climate-responsive, Vastu-aligned, and future-ready home that champions daylight and airflow while granting privacy and fostering family togetherness.
The Ongrid Approach: From Deep-Dive Briefing to Buildable Blueprint 
Our digital-first design process allowed for intensive, collaborative workshops to map out every detail of the family's life and aspirations.
- Intensive Online Briefing: We mapped daily routines and long-term needs. This led to a clear spatial hierarchy: a ground-floor suite for the grandparents for easy accessibility, a centrally located lift to ensure the home remains accessible for aging family members, two identical and private master suites for the brothers on the first floor, and shared family zones like a library and terrace lounge for communal gatherings.
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A Climate-First Design Strategy: The core strategy was built around passive climate control:
- Strategic Orientation: The main living-dining axis was oriented to the north-east to capture soft, indirect morning light and avoid the harsh southern and western sun.
- Centralized Service Core: The lift, plumbing ducts, and staircase were stacked vertically in the center of the home. This brilliant move shortened plumbing and electrical runs, improving efficiency, and critically, freed the outer perimeter walls for windows and openings to maximize light and ventilation.
- Architectural Shading: The entire façade was conceived as a self-shading system. Projecting concrete slabs and strategically placed vertical fins wrap the building, shielding the walls from direct sun, cutting glare, and creating a dynamic, modern aesthetic.
Key Design Solutions: An Architecture of Comfort and Elegance 
A. The Climate-Smart Façade: A Grid of Stone and Shade
The home's most striking feature is its intelligent façade, a direct response to Kalaburagi's climate. The walls, constructed from lightweight AAC blocks for their insulating properties, are over-clad with locally sourced, 450mm Shahabad stone tiles laid in a sophisticated offset grid.
Technical Innovation: Deep, 600mm exposed RCC slabs form continuous horizontal bands around the building. These are not merely decorative; they act as highly effective sunshades, preventing the high-angle summer sun from baking the masonry walls and keeping the interiors cool. On the western façade, slim aluminum fins are strategically placed to break down wind pressure and add a layer of textural detail, while providing crucial afternoon shade.
B. The Breathable Heart: A Double-Aspect Living & Dining Hall 
The expansive 30-foot-long living and dining zone forms the social heart of the home. It is designed on a north-south axis with large French doors opening onto garden planters and a welcoming front verandah. This double-aspect layout allows for exceptional cross-ventilation, a vital feature for the local climate. The space is filled with soft, glare-free eastern morning light, while the western wall is kept solid and blank, acting as a thermal barrier against the harsh afternoon heat. The result is a comfortable and airy family hub that naturally stays several degrees cooler than the exterior temperature.
C. Four Self-Contained Sanctuaries: The Bedroom Suites 
Privacy and comfort were paramount. The design provides four distinct suites:
- Ground Floor Suites: Two spacious suites for the parents and grandparents flank the central lobby, each with a private attached toilet and serene views of the garden.
- First Floor Master Suites: Two identical 16 ft × 14 ft master suites are located on the first floor. Both open onto a shared front balcony, which is elegantly screened by vertical teak fins, providing privacy from the street without sacrificing light or creating a sense of confinement.
D. The Future-Ready Core: A Lift and Wide Staircase
Anticipating the family's needs for decades to come, the home is designed with safe and comfortable strategies for multi-generational living. A 5 ft 10 in × 4 ft 10 in machine-room-less (MRL) lift and a generous 5-foot-wide dog-leg staircase ensure that all levels of the home remain easily accessible to every family member, regardless of age or mobility. This core also allows for the possibility of future subdivision into separate duplex units if ever required.
E. A Room with a View: The Home-Office and Library Mezzanine 
Positioned above the entrance, a striking cantilevered cube, clad in vertical teak-finish panels, hosts a 14 ft × 13 ft home office. The external fins cleverly cut road noise and provide shade, while a large picture window inside frames the treetops, turning work breaks into moments of quiet, restorative connection with nature.
The Outcome: A Buildable Blueprint for Generations
The final design package delivers a comprehensive, code-compliant, and buildable blueprint that masterfully addresses Kalaburagi's climatic challenges, honours the family's Vastu requirements, and secures multi-generational comfort.
Through Ongrid's iterative digital review process, the family was transformed into confident and empowered Project Owners with proper project budget planning. They are now equipped with crystal-clear drawings, quantified schedules, and a deeply considered, climate-proof design from our complete set of home plans that they can confidently execute with any local contractor, knowing every detail has been resolved. This project stands as a testament to how a collaborative, digital-first design process can deliver a world-class architectural solution that is both globally contemporary and deeply rooted in its local context.
