SpaceDNA wraps Coimbatore home in rust-orange staircase and perforated steel screens

Architecture studio SpaceDNA completed Splitscape Residence, a multi-generational home in Coimbatore, India, organized around a triple-height void and an oxide-coated staircase. The 113-square-metre site houses a three-bedroom family home for a client, their two sons, and elderly parents, with a ground-floor grandparents' suite and parking occupying nearly 70% of the footprint. The studio expanded vertically using split-level floors and mezzanines. A weathering-steel jaali (perforated screen) shades the south-facing facade while casting shifting light patterns. The staircase, described by founder Gowtham Srinath as a sculptural object, is made from folded 8mm mild steel plate with rust-orange oxide coating, contrasting with white-plaster walls and a restrained palette of Kota stone flooring and exposed concrete ceilings. The triple-height living room sits at the plan's center, with a narrow side courtyard for daylight and ventilation. Levels are offset by 1.5 meters to maintain visual connections. Private spaces include children's bedroom and bathroom on the first floor, and a main bedroom with walk-in wardrobe, ensuite, balcony, and circular bay window on the upper mezzanine. Space for a future fourth bedroom and a roof terrace are included. Passive cooling strategies include internal courtyards, ventilated skylights, and rat-trap bond brick masonry for thermal insulation. SpaceDNA, founded by Gowtham Srinath in 2021, is based in Bengaluru.