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Architecture

2023

This 2,300-square-foot beachfront holiday retreat, set on a 14,300-square-foot site, features a narrow portion facing the sea, inspiring its linear design. Elevated on circular stilts, the home offers unobstructed views of Vypin Beach. The design brief called for a two-bedroom, minimalist holiday home with flexible outdoor spaces for the family of four, allowing them to host gatherings, enjoy life by the beach, and create art in their free time. To create a sleek, flat roof on the ground floor, they inverted the beams, supported by circular columns adorned with narrow nibs, giving the structure a floating effect. The ground floor has a private study and a large garden, preserving 85% of the land for gardening.

A unique open-to-sky, shell-inspired washroom on the ground floor provides a refreshing transition from beach to home, finished with blue oxide walls and a pebble-inlaid floor. The main entrance and staircase face west, ensuring users enjoy horizon views upon entering or exiting. This positioning separates private areas to the north from lively communal spaces to the south.

Natural light floods every room, with serene views extending from lush horizons to the sea. The public area has an open kitchen flowing into a double-height living room, with a covered balcony for dining. The mezzanine adds intimacy and access to the terrace, creating an engaging interplay of volumes. It also doubles up as a sleeping area when required. A cosy library nook complements the grand double-height living area under a Mangalore-tiled roof, ideal for entertaining.

Kochi,Kerala,India

Architects	:	From Around Here
Area	:	2,300 sq. ft.
Year	:	2023
Website	:	https://www.instagram.com/from.around.here/

Living room of Seascape by From Around Here

Outdoor dining of Seascape by From Around Here

The design honours Keralan craftsmanship, exemplified by the ladder-style staircase with traditional teak wood joints and lathe-turned balusters. The kitchen blends elegance with functionality, featuring teak wood shutters, a white countertop with warm orange striations, and a copper-coloured backsplash. The covered balcony, with stunning sunset views, includes provisions for a barbecue grill.

A well-lit corridor, illuminated by circular skylights and lined with a bay window, leads to two bedrooms with asymmetrical sloped roofs, clerestory windows, and deep balconies. The bathrooms have frosted glass walls and scenic step-out areas. The master bedroom, marking the end of the building, has a corner balcony, offering panoramic views of the ocean and surrounding landscape.

Kitchen of Seascape by From Around Here

Staircase of Seascape by From Around Here

Passage of Seascape by From Around Here

The material palette is simple and rich in texture, with exposed concrete plaster on the ground floor accented by crimson highlights. Leather-finish Kota and Jaisalmer stone flooring is used throughout the house, with playful patterns breaking the monotony and marking key transition points, thresholds, and level changes. Polished teak wood doors with vertical beadings and grooves add visual interest and enhance the sense of height, while jet black granite window jambs frame the picturesque views transforming each window into a living painting.