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Step inside spacious home near Bengaluru built under ₹1 crore that blends modern comfort with scenic beauty
The home, 'completed in ₹90 lakh', manages the rare feat of marrying modern architecture with the raw, rugged terrain of the Tamil Nadu–Karnataka border.
In an era where luxury often means sprawling concrete and glass, a residence in the village of Shoolagiri is proving that true high-end living might actually be found in the earth beneath our feet. Design firm ArchPro has shared a glimpse into a 1,700 sq ft sustainable 'earth house' with panoramic views of the lush landscape that has captured social media's imagination. Also read | Step inside Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwad's Lukshmi Vilas Palace, the largest private residence in the world
Architecture that camouflages
'Completed in ₹90 lakh', the three-bedroom property manages a rare feat: blending high-concept modern architecture with the raw, rugged terrain of the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border. Located within the Sanctity Ferme community, the home was designed not to stand out, but to disappear, according to ArchPro's January 8 Instagram post – the structure 'camouflages itself into the terrain', utilising a flow that follows the natural contours and drainage of the site.
The home’s most striking feature is its poured-earth walls. The post highlighted that, composed of 85 percent clay, these walls offer an eco-sensitive alternative to traditional concrete, providing a tactile warmth that mirrors the surrounding soil. “While it looks like a finished wall, it was cast with clay,” the owners explained in the video tour, adding, “We wanted to keep it as organic as possible.”
Living around the landscape
Rather than clearing the site for construction, the architects (Prithvi Architects & Arun Kumar VS) treated the existing environment as the primary floor plan. A massive, 20-foot-high natural boulder serves as the literal heart of the home, integrated directly into the kitchen space.
The bedrooms feature beds designed around existing rock formations, ensuring the interior feels like a natural extension of the outdoors. Even the swimming pool was shaped to avoid disturbing any local trees or rocks, resulting in a free-form aesthetic the owners describe as 'walking into a blue lagoon'.
Sustainable innovation
The project balanced its rustic charm with clever engineering – to reach the upper levels, residents use 'hanging' spiral stairs, a lightweight design choice that minimises the home's footprint. Despite its 'nature-first' philosophy, the home doesn't skimp on aesthetics. The grey-toned service areas echo the site's rocky textures, and cobblestone paths trace gentle ramps throughout the property.
By elevating the structure slightly above the ground, the design ensures minimal environmental impact while offering expansive views of the Shoolagiri landscape — all for a budget that challenges the current standards of the Bengaluru real estate market. In ArchPro's video, the owners shared, “We could have done a lot more in terms of modernising this place, but things have been kept rustic. You kind of keep that natural feel.”
Note to readers: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
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