Behind the Build: Our Architectural Process
We believe a building is more than just walls. Here, we document the raw, honest journey of construction, from the first brick laid on-site to the structural mastery of custom domes.
The bare shell of Villa 14. It's always exciting to see the fundamental volumes and spaces of a project take shape before the finishes are applied. This villa is designed with high ceilings and large openings to frame the surrounding gardens.
A video showing various villas under construction, capturing the raw structures and how they are positioned to frame the surrounding vistas and landscape.
A home in the making in the Malnad region of Karnataka. This video captures the structure rising amidst the monsoon clouds, showing the challenges and beauty of building in different climates.
This video shows the delicate supports holding up a large cantilevered roof slab for the 'house with floating planes'. It's a glimpse into the structural challenges and solutions in my designs.
Here, my team and I are brushing up on our brick-making skills, learning both old and new techniques to create unburnt adobe bricks using natural stabilizers. It's a hands-on approach to understanding our materials.
The incredible craftsmanship involved in constructing a Rohtak dome roof from brick. This technique allows us to create a beautiful domed ceiling while minimizing the use of concrete.
An artisan at work, carefully laying the bricks for the dome. This is a highly skilled, traditional technique that I love to incorporate in my projects.
The keystone bricks being placed at the center of the dome, locking the entire structure into place.
The wedge-shaped bricks are custom cut and arranged to form the circular pattern of the dome.
The finished brick dome from below, with a central oculus that will become a skylight, flooding the space below with natural light.
About Behind the Build: Our Process
A home's character starts long before the paint dries. We actively involve our clients in the construction process, from choosing the right mix for our earth bricks to observing the precision needed for a filler slab roof. When you build with us, you don’t just get a set of drawings; you see the structural evolution of your space, understanding exactly why we choose load-bearing CSEB walls over standard concrete columns for your specific site.
When we start a project, we move away from the typical RCC frame model. Our construction philosophy centers on structural honesty. You will see us using Compressed Stabilized Earth Blocks (CSEB) for load-bearing walls, which significantly reduces the need for concrete columns and cement plastering. It creates a thermal mass that keeps your home naturally cooler in the Bengaluru heat.
Our floor slabs are often not the standard solid concrete pours. We employ filler slab technology, integrating inverted clay pots or hollow clay blocks into the slab design. This reduces the dead weight of the roof and lowers the concrete volume, while leaving a beautiful, textured pattern on your ceiling.
For those seeking something more sculptural, we experiment with brick dome construction, such as the Rohtak dome technique. This is not just an aesthetic choice; it is a way to create grand, vaulted ceilings without the environmental cost of a massive concrete slab. It requires a high level of on-site craftsmanship, as our team spends days with masons to get the radius and keystone placement perfect.
We believe that if you can see how your house is built, you understand it better. We keep our site operations transparent and document these structural stages because we want our clients to know what is behind their walls. Whether it is sourcing vintage doors for reuse or adjusting a brick jali on-site to catch the afternoon light, our process is fluid and adaptive. We work with the landscape, not against it, ensuring your home feels grounded and responsive to the environment from the moment construction begins.
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