SHILA

Amongst the lush greenery familiar to the state of Kerala, India, stands this tranquil home that relishes in the amalgamation of modernity and tropical ideologies. The residential building, particular about its roots, gives prime importance to traditional planning concepts and the central courtyard, a defining element in regional houses. It moulds into an ancestral home that plays with various elements like broad windows, modern facilities and an open-to-sky courtyard, providing a serenely lit and ventilated space for memorable family gatherings and functions. The green all around also seamlessly seeps into the interiors, creating a smooth spatial experience that blends the inside and outside. Context The structure turns its face to the east, kin to where the site was originally slanted, following an ideal orientation and regulating the microclimate of the location. A pre- existent building on the west side of the site was tastefully renovated and transformed for adaptive reuse into a dermatology clinic for the client. The access to the site is through a road that runs and leads to the west side first, gives a glimpse of the clinic and only then allows entrance to the front yard, thereby holding back the patients from unwanted interferences, preserving the privacy of the home. The two-storeyed house has four blocks held together in unity by the central courtyard, with the higher level providing shade to the front yard and open spaces, lending a cooling and intimate ambience to cosy and eventful evenings. The welcoming sit-out in the front leads its way into a wide open space, decorated with a courtyard in the centre and surrounded by formal living, dining and family living spaces along its sides. The privacy of the bedrooms are maintained by their placement along the sides of the courtyard. The family living area stretches into the open kitchen, extending its intent for shared interactions while cooking. Alongside the kitchen are a secondary kitchen and work area, attached to aid in other activities like heavy cooking, dishwashing and laundry. Construction tecniques. Leaning on heavy research and experimental processes, the construction techniques and materiality used are highly effective in channelling the true potential of the climatic, functional and aesthetic aspects of the area and the project. The walls are adorned by precast GFRG panels that are leaner and sturdier than the usual brick masonry, thus allowing high construction speed, heat insulation and cost-effectiveness. The concrete slabs are swapped for wooden ones that replicate the traditional ceilings and give a natural cooling effect in the bedrooms. Giving into the usage of wood as an efficient material to translate regional patterns as well as satisfy climatic requirements, wooden planks are laid with tongue and groove joints atop steel rafters, with the roof tiles resting upon wooden battens screwed into the wooden planks. The wooden elements in the ceiling embedding show a striking yet harmonious contrast to the columns and furniture, thus bringing in a coherent orchestration of elements in the interiors. The subtle shades of soothing pastel in the finishes help in protecting the conceived ambience of the spaces. Quite in difference, but still in compatible mergence, the exteriors retain their own identity with a palette that showcases the traditional roof tiles in their raw form. The project in its entirety, holds together its different elements in pleasing harmony; scenic interiors and exteriors, the green and brown of earthy tones, the ideas of modern functions and traditional comfort.