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Neralu

Sheet 01Site

Homes in the shade of trees that were here first.

48 homes around two courtyards and 31 old trees. Three and four bedrooms.

From ₹2.4 crore

See available homesFloor plans

Fig. 1. A low building among old trees, the kind of place Neralu is drawn around.

A low white building with tall windows, half hidden behind mature trees on a clear morning

Sheet 02Trees

The trees came first

Neralu means shade in Kannada. Before anything was drawn, an arborist walked the land and tagged every tree. There were 31: 22 rain trees, a jackfruit, two mangoes and six honge trees along the edges.

We put the trees on the plan first and fitted the buildings around them. The four blocks sit between the canopies. The two courtyards are where the shade is deepest, so that is where people will sit.

The oldest rain tree stands where Block D would have started. So Block D stands on columns at ground level, and the tree keeps its roots, its light and its place. Ground plus four floors, about 16 metres, and the rain trees still stand taller.

Looking up into a wide canopy of small leaves, with sky showing through the branches
A young jackfruit hanging from the pale trunk of a jackfruit tree among broad leaves
Fig. 2. A jackfruit, like the one in Courtyard 2.
Clusters of small mangoes hanging among long, narrow mango leaves
Fig. 3. Mangoes, like the two on the walk.

The site, block by block

Every canopy is a tree that was already standing. Pick a home to see it.

Site plan of NeraluFour blocks, A to D, in two pairs. Blocks A and B face each other across Courtyard 1, and Blocks C and D across Courtyard 2, with a walk between the pairs. The back garden runs along the north side and the street along the south. 31 existing trees are kept: 22 rain trees, 2 mangoes, a jackfruit in Courtyard 2 and 6 honge trees. The oldest rain tree stands under Block D, which is open at ground level.StreetBack gardenCourtyard 1Courtyard 2ABCDOpen on columnsat ground level
Key:
  • Rain tree, 22
  • Mango, 2
  • Jackfruit, 1
  • Honge, 6
  • Block, ground plus four floors
3 pm

Drag to see where the shade falls through the day. Sun path for 13° N.

Season

At 3 pm in March, 5 of 48 homes have their sunlit wall in tree shade:

Sheet 03Location

Where

Bengaluru, India. Around 920 metres above sea level, with mild weather all year, which is why it grew up as a city of trees.

Sheet 04Homes

Two kinds of home

A bright living room with two large windows onto a green slope, a sofa, an armchair and indoor plants

Three bedrooms

Living and dining on the balcony side, three bedrooms on the outside wall, and a kitchen with its own utility.

Carpet area
About 1,650 sq ft
Price
₹2.40 to ₹2.65 crore
Homes
15 of 29 free
Plans 3A and 3B
A made bed in white linen beside a tall window and a reading lamp on the wall

Four bedrooms

A separate dining room, four bedrooms off a quiet passage, a dressing room and a powder room by the door.

Carpet area
About 2,250 sq ft
Price
₹3.32 to ₹3.60 crore
Homes
4 of 19 free
Plans 4A and 4B
  • A calm kitchen with pale timber cabinets, a round dining table and soft daylight
    Fig. 4. Kitchens have a window over the counter, onto the garden or a courtyard.
  • A white building with a glass-fronted balcony above a timber deck and dense tropical planting
    Fig. 5. Balconies are 1.8 m deep, enough for two chairs in the rain.
  • A small potted plant on a timber stool, its leaf shadows falling across a pale wall
    Fig. 6. West walls take the afternoon shade of the canopies.

Sheet 05Availability

What’s free right now

19/48

homes available

6 on hold and 23 sold.

By block
BlockShare of the block freeHomes free
Block A50%5 of 10
Block B40%6 of 15
Block C33%5 of 15
Block D38%3 of 8
Every home, floor by floor

Sheet 06Materials

Made to last

Four choices that keep the homes cool, quiet and easy to look after, without machines doing all the work.

  1. 01

    Lime plaster

    The walls are finished in lime, not cement paint. Lime lets moisture move through the wall, so rooms stay cooler and do not smell damp after the monsoon. It ages to a soft, even patina instead of peeling.

    Three coats, 20 mm, trowelled by hand

    Close view of a white plastered wall with a soft, uneven hand-finished texture
  2. 02

    Kota stone floors

    Honed Kota stone, a grey-green limestone from Rajasthan that Indian homes have used for generations. Cool underfoot in April, never cold in December, and it looks better with every year of mopping.

    Honed slabs, 25 mm thick

    Grey stone slabs with fine joints, half in sunlight and half in shade
  3. 03

    Teak windows

    Seasoned teak frames set deep in the 230 mm outside walls, so the reveal shades the glass from the afternoon sun. Every window opens fully, and the bedrooms have louvred shutters for nights with a breeze.

    Sill 750 mm, head 2.1 m

    Sunlight through a tall timber-framed window falling across a polished wooden floor
  4. 04

    Rainwater harvesting

    Every roof and courtyard drains to recharge wells and a sump below Courtyard 2. The trees were drinking from this ground long before anyone dug a borewell, so the water goes back to them.

    Four recharge wells, a 200,000 litre sump

    Glossy green leaves beaded with raindrops after a shower

Sheet 07Progress

Where the work is

Now: Structure, Block B.

An illustrative timeline for a concept project.

  1. Jan 2025

    Land and approvals

    Done

  2. Aug 2025

    Tree survey

    Done

  3. Nov 2025

    Foundations

    Done

  4. May 2026

    Structure

    Now

  5. Apr 2027

    Finishing

    Next

  6. From Jun 2028

    Handover

    Next

The full timeline
A small tree in a stone planter in a quiet walled courtyard, with a slim white column in the shade
Fig. 7. A shaded courtyard at midday.

Sheet 08Visit

Come and stand under them

Visits are on weekday mornings, when the courtyards are coolest. If you are in another city or another country, we can walk you through on a video call instead.