Raintree House / Khosla Associates

On the southern periphery of the site stood a magnificent and ancient Raintree that influenced the spatial layout of this 4-bedroom house in Chennai. The tree, with its sculptural roots and the giant canopy, was a primary driver in determining the layout and design of the house. We wanted the tree to be omnipresent, so we created the entrance court around its roots and positioned the living room in such a way as to have direct views of it. The main compound wall on the street was designed with certain cutouts to accommodate some of its branches and roots.