Sreesailam is an urban abode set amidst a chaotic fast-growing part of Cochin City in South India. The approach to the site is through a narrow lane, with plots big enough for family residences on either side. The exponentially growing surroundings have eaten up all the greenery and quaintness the neighbourhood once enjoyed.
The design intent was to create a sculpturally aesthetic façade - minimal, monolithic, and as contained as it could be. The architects bifurcated the site lengthwise, where 'The house' occupies the rear half, allowing a better view of the façade from the narrow road in the front. The design process was ideated around the front garden. The client longed for a quiet haven - reminiscent of the past and excitedly accepted the idea of a broad stretch of a garden in their front yard.
The main entry and double-car parking are at one end of the garden space. The front garden conceptually wraps along the side of the porch and settles atop its roof, providing green to the terrace lounge. This terrace separates the upper and lower volume. The front half of the house contains all the common areas. The living and dining rooms, open to the front garden, become a single mass of a semi-open lounge. The bedrooms, toilets, and service areas like the kitchen and laundry are all packed behind, hidden from prying eyes.
A vertical puncture enveloped with curves binds the structure with softness and breaks the rigidity of the monolithic structure with grace. The composition becomes that of understated elegance and harmony. The sweeping curved balcony creates movement and dynamism. It traces one's glance through the façade. The design of the galvanized iron grill work executed on the exterior becomes an identifying feature of the residence. The grill design gives the monolithic structure a sense of permeability and complexity- a perfect juxtaposition of open and closed, of one and many.
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