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Architecture

2023

Photographer : Divya Rajesh

The plot is in an old settlement, raised slightly above the adjacent road, in the temple town of Kumaranelloor, in the Indian state of Kerala. The design was meant to be a single-story small cabin, which would offer a minimal and peaceful living. The requirements included a sit-out, a car porch, an integrated garden, a living-dining hall, kitchen, and two small bedrooms.

The site extent is 495 sqm, half of it left open to have a garden in the front. This offers privacy for the sit-out and the front yard from the busy street. A small court adjoins the sit-out, facing the east direction with a skylight that provides ample daylight to the central home area.

The rectilinear framed façade negotiates the required house programs with the open garden in the front. The front sit-out along with the steps acts as an informal gathering space with a view to the garden. The lowered ceiling of the sit-out brings an intimate scale to the space. A large glass opening to the living room allows these spaces to merge together when required. The common areas and the kitchen placed in the eastern bay of the house provide these areas with forenoon sunlight.

The natural stone paving, the pebble filling in the front yard, the textured white façade and thickly planted garden – all of these help reduce the temperature of the interiors considerably even during summers.

The common area has a polished plastered ceiling, which is durable, requires low maintenance and adds to the aesthetic appeal of the space.