Geometry for emotion

A living room with a curved wall culminating into a landscaped court would help in directing the view onto the courtside.

Once inside the hose, the form and geometry of the internal spaces should be flowing into one another.

THE SHAPE of a room is defined by the profile of the walls and the ceiling. A room could be defined as rectangular if it has straight walls with right-angled corners or organic if it has curved walls. The roof cover above also defines the shape of the room. Straight walls with corners at right angles give a clear definition to the room and a strong sense of enclosure. A curved or organic room merges easily with the adjoining room.

Human emotions change according to the ambience of the space he is in. It is not just the emotions; the whole lifestyle and the pattern of living could change, given the right ambience and space organisation. The initial spark produces the first flame. Similarly, an interesting (but a suitable one) entry into a room will make all users excited and engaged.

Let us discuss how we can make the entry and inner forms of the rooms vibrant.

Buildings, and especially houses, with a graceful transition between the street and the inside are more tranquil than those which open directly off the street. Having an entry portico with car park creates an unaffected, indifferent atmosphere, as the car park dominates the space, not to mention tyre marks and oil stains. Rather, a car park on the side with an entry exclusive for residents, would be more suitable. `Interactive' entries, which create a human and participatory atmosphere, like the `Alsa Mall', Egmore, and the `Sterling Towers', Anna Salai, would always interest the users.

Unconventional side entries, highlighted with landscaped forecourts could be used to create a sense of exploration. This also ensures a wider landscaped area in the front.

Once inside the house, the form and geometry of the internal spaces should be flowing into one another and interactive. The classical design dictum, `Form follows function', has, with time, changed to `form evokes function'. The room could be orderly, informal, evoke playfulness, interaction, depending on whether it is curved, angular or polygonal in shape. The geometry of the internal space can be an excellent way of generating either an interacting space or an isolated space.

A living room with a curved wall culminating into a landscaped court would help in directing the view onto the courtside. Similarly, a curve-shaped room provides pockets of space that could be used for family interaction.

Huge vertical spaces can be used to create interaction between lower and upper levels. Just like in `Spencer Plaza', where people throng around the central atrium to be part of the whole crowd.

Bedrooms and family rooms on the upper levels could have bay windows and low slung windows from where one can look onto the living area and dining area. This ensures a better interaction and also facilitates better monitoring into the children's room.

Openings at the roof beam level and in the roof can be used to create mystic lighting to generate a spiritual glow to that space.

Additionally, curved walls and three-dimensional ceilings tend to mellow the space, creating a room with no sense of fixed confinements.

Bedrooms with curved or angular walls are conducive in generating a casual and light mood. A bedroom complex comprising a sleeping area, a dressing room, a toilet, a small lobby and a landscaped court would give a very private and cosy setting.

For utilitarian spaces, straight line-based geometries and right-angled walls would enable maximum utilisation.

Blending the raw power of straight lines with the richness of curves, we can produce a spatial quality for the new genre.