Gone are the days, when people flocked to the
cities. As time ticks away, cities have started losing their shimmer. Today
masses retreat back to a serene and sterile setting. ’Stara’ is one such
gem strategically tucked away into the lush green locales of Malaparamba, Kozhikode.
This 2380 sq.ft. haven residence doubles up as the Architect’s weekend home and
office space known by the same name. The zoning for the building is crafted to
accommodate multiple user groups to co-exist in the property without crossing
paths.
This safe sanctuary, beautifully shielded from
the hustle and bustle of the city helps provide a serene ambiance for the
residents as well as a creative working group. During the design process, the
objective was to accommodate the requirements for a weekend home and a design
studio within a 4.70 cent plot. The process began by analyzing preliminary
massing designs to cater the principal objectives of creating open areas and
segregating spaces visually with minimal physical barriers. To amplify the
sense of openness, the living and dining room have large aluminum doors opening
to the private shaded courtyard. The house faces east, which helps in achieving
the goal of tapping natural light and making the house energy efficient.
The interplay of light and shade within the
courtyard and living spaces paired with a direct connection to the surrounding
nature awards a sense of uniqueness to every space. The programmatic allocation
for the residence consists of three bedrooms, a kitchen, a family living-dining
space and a study corner. Sliding doors open from all the surrounding living
and dining spaces which adds to the transparency of the house and its natural
surroundings.
The front entry doorway opens into a space
with artistically curated furniture thereby setting a tropical ambience. The
furniture is sourced from the client’s ancestral traditional property or custom
made based on design requirement. The cot in one of the bedrooms and the Diwan
in the living room are 150-year-old marvels acquired by the client. The pieces
cut from the legs of the diwan set were then used as support for the
accompanying coffee table. The open kitchen is the element that gives visual
culmination of the social area. The island table not only serves as a breakfast
counter but also acts as a separator between the dining and open kitchen. The
trees on site were incorporated within the design as an elemental feature which
helps intertwining the architecture with the surroundings.
Overall, this design integrates the environment, existing site
conditions and natural resources, thereby creating a biophilic design that is
both graceful and life enhancing.
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