Solo Roof by Studio Acis

The design is a direct response to its tropical rural context,with priority given to climatically responsive solutions. A well shaded buffer zone surrounding the living spaces would create a pleasant microclimate within, preventing heat build-up in the interiors. This is achieved by roofing the house under a large pitched roof with overhangs extending about 3.8 meter beyond the walls of the house. This creates a shaded transition zone underneath the overhang that serves as a family gathering area, protected from the heat and rains, which is in essence, a reinterpretation of the traditional veranda.  A large solo roof housing the entire built volume achieving double layering is the concept that guided the evolution of the design.

The planning of the house emphasizes the link between common areas, that is, the living, dining and kitchen, making sure they retain connectivity to each other, as well as to the outdoors. The bedrooms are in a more private zone, with balconies extending out into the shaded veranda. The client’s inclination towards traditional design has been taken into consideration while designing the house, by incorporating a contemporary interpretation of the “chuttu-verandah” of the past (a continuous veranda running along the periphery). The colonnade along the edge of this veranda emphasizes the scale of the building while the grill work becomes a screen that maintains privacy in the transition zone. The verticality and repetitive nature of the columns alternating with the grills define the façade of the house.

The choice of materials cater to an earthy palette with the natural finishes of the house blending seamlessly into the tropical rural context. Major portion of the exterior walls are brick finish, alternating with cement finish. Veranda floor is finished with flamed granite stone. Influence of the timeless traditional architectural philosophies as well as the climatically-responsive design of the house imparts an ethereal quality to it. The design is, in every sense, a solution to the constraints posed by the warm humid tropics of Kerala.