Located in Kerala’s Thrissur District,
the ‘Mango house’ thrives to inscribe minimalist modernity as its design
language while sharing a humble relationship with its immediate vicinity. As
the project name duly indicates, the salient feature of the design would be the
site’s resident old Mango tree which is wrapped around a layer of jali screens
shaping into an external courtyard near the sit out. This was an attempt to
merge the existing predominant site
feature seamlessly with the introduced built environment .
The project is designed for the simple
family of Mr.Satheeshan, a Thrissur based businessman. The clients had a very
clear and comprehensible vision of their dream abode right from the first
meeting, with their requirements being simple yet relevant- a well lit and
ventilated home with an open layout that would compliment their contemporary
lifestyle.
The 10 cent linear plot had access
points from both South and west sides being flanked by connection roads on
either of those sides. Main entrance was proposed from South side to maintain
the linearity in design. The chosen muted palette for the exterior was a
complementing response to the surrounding morphology with residences on all
four sides of the plot. The white plays its magic by capturing one’s whole
attention to the building without being too loud or demanding. The subtle tint
of greys given for the sunshades and fresh greenery stirs well with the white and
augments the whole composition. Porous treatment of the front facade with MS
mesh and the jali screening behind it stamps the character of the design right
from the first glance. This softens the building boundaries enhancing the
welcoming appeal without compromising much security.
This 2020 sq.ft residence was designed
in an open concept with minimal walls used for drawing boundaries between
spaces. The car porch is integrated well with
the design having linear steps on its one side leading to a sit out that looks
into the Mango tree courtyard. A small linear water body on its side adds to
the freshness of the landscape. As we enter the house, all the public spaces
including living, dining and Kitchen are designed to act cohesively without an
evident barrier for demarcation. Courtyards bearing greenery are juxtaposed
between the spaces, making sure they are in constant conversation with the
landscape and building context. The living and dining spaces are aligned in a
line with a breathing core between them, leading to an open kitchen at the end.
The large courtyard spaced between staircase and breakfast counter, pours in
ample amount of light and fresh air to the interior with the aid of skylight
and double height jali walls on either sides. Cross ventilation is enabled
throughout with large sliding windows and Porous jali screens placed on
adequate walls. Vertical spatial connection is maintained as well with double
height courtyard spaces acting as communication cores. The house has three
bedrooms, one in ground floor and the rest in upper floor, each of them
provided with either large sliding doors or windows ensuring appropriate cross
ventilation.
The interior color palette was chosen
corresponding to the overall theme of the house, with shades of grey, beige and
white being the notable colors. The tint of green from the courtyards
compliments perfectly the theme that embodies lightness and openness. The
minimal theme extends to the furniture design was well, predominantly made of mahogany
wood tinted to a light pine shade. Inbuilt seating provisions in the living
room and upper corridor perform as storage units as well, translating the
simplicity of the design language into practice. The material palette explores the
raw textural qualities of each of the elements used , that is to say- MS sheets
and wire mesh used for staircase, Nano white stone as counter/dining table
tops, small swathes of cobble stones and baby metal laid in the courtyard. All
of them are presented as it is without layers of extra modification or coating
thus staying true to the design intend.
Following the prominent principle of
“less is more”, this house of muted hues marks its subtle subsistence in the
community, simultaneously speaking an ingenious design language of its own.
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