The project is situated in a riverine area at Aluva in the state of Kerala, where an industrial home design has been envisioned for a Non-Residential-Indian family that visits their homeland annually. The location of the site holds special meaning to our client, who grew up in a riverfront house at the banks of Periyar. The location is reminiscent of his childhood memories.
Editor’s Note: Rooted in memory and crafted for reunion, this riverine retreat blends industrial poise with heartfelt warmth. Sunlit courtyards and flowing spaces echo a life once lived and now lovingly reimagined. A home where nostalgia meets modern ease inviting moments of pause and quiet celebration. ~Isha Bora
This Industrial Home Design Is Inspired By Riverfront Childhood Memories | DesignLoom Architects
The project earned the nickname ‘Transformer House’ owing to its semi-pre-fab nature of construction. It blends sharp industrial features with soft, free-flowing spaces. As a result, the home offers a thoughtful combination of voluminous and intimate areas for the client.
They envisioned their house to entertain and host the many relatives and friends who visit. This meant a spacious living, dining and kitchen.
The living space opens up to a private outdoor patio where the family holds barbecue parties. The dining space opens up to a semi-open courtyard, with a glass ceiling and vertical perforations.
The occupants often enjoy a quiet morning and evening tea in this sunlit space. A sliding window visibly connects the courtyard to the kitchen.
The voluminous space with a high ceiling, clerestory windows, and skylights contrast the more private, cosy, intimate spaces.
This three-bedroom residence has a multipurpose upper living that is used as a TV room, workout space and can also be converted to bedroom space by using the convertible sofa.
Ample storage spaces were an essential aspect of the design brief. The colour palette used includes warm tones of terracotta, with cool tones of cement finish grey, steel and glass against a neutral white. The black granite and kadappa stone finish provides a balancing contrast to the cool tones.
The design incorporates clay jali walls, double heights, and perforated sky-lit courtyards to achieve uninterrupted airflow and ample natural light, responding to Kerala’s coastal humidity and rising temperatures.
The staircase acts as the core of light and ventilation by providing additional air movement by discharging the rising hot air through a wind-powered industrial revolving ventilator.
The design carefully places these openings and perforations on the east side, allowing morning rays to fill the building. These aspects have reduced the need for electric lights during the day and any need for air conditioning.
The use of prefabricated 12 x 3-meter glass fibre reinforced gypsum panels (GFRG) for the walls, with its vertical ribs filled with concrete, insulates the interior space from the heat outside.
The gypsum used in the manufacturing of the panels is an industrial by-product that otherwise ended up in landfills polluting the environment.
These innovative panels are a better insulator to heat than conventional wall materials like brick and concrete blocks. the smooth and straight wall surface achieved by GFRG panels allowed for avoiding plastering of walls.
Using the GFRG panels for walls, the superstructure was completed in 100 days, saving time and cost. Collectively, the design vocabulary and construction material ensure considerable temperature reduction inside the building and adequate lighting and ventilation throughout.
Fact File
Designed by: DesignLoom Architects
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Transformer house
Location: Aluva, Kerala. India
Year Built: 2022
Duration of the project: 2 Years
Built-up Area: 3000 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Ar. Mithun O Raghavan & Ar. Meghna Anilkumar
Photograph Courtesy: Running Studios
Contractors: Shellarc / GFRG constructions
Products / Materials / Vendors: Wallcovering / Cladding – cement texture, stone finish walls. Construction Materials – Column Footing & Frame Structure + GFRG panels / Sanitaryware – CERA Windows – Teak,, Anjili Wood, Aluminium windows / Furniture – various, handmade / Flooring – Johnson / Kajaria / Kitchen – Hettich / Trojan Ply /Merino Lam / Paint – Asian Paints / Artefacts – various / Wallpaper – various Hardware – various
Firm’s Website Link: DesignLoom Architects
Firm’s Instagram Link: DesignLoom Architects
For Similar Project>>>This Classy Modern Bungalow Design is in Thane
Layers don’t just sit here; they breathe, shift, and whisper through light. The Screen, set in the sun-drenched fabric of Solapur, Maharashtra, isn’t trying to scream luxury. It doesn’t need to. It moves quieter than that, more composed, more intentional, like a pause button carved into the chaos of the city. Spread across 4,125 sq. […]
This project is located in Ben Tre, Vietnam, and was completed in 2021. With a total area of 430m2, the project set within concrete vaults includes 3 bedrooms and one living room, each with a view of the nearby river. Concrete Vaults Form The Main Identity Of This Vietnamese Home | VTN Architects The ground […]
We conceive EMA not as a conventional architectural object, but as a living continuum of memory, ecology, and craft. Located in Malappuram, Kerala, the 1,700 sq. ft. residence, designed with thermal comfort draws from vernacular wisdom and the philosophy of the Kaavu—the sacred grove—where humans, nature, and other living beings coexist without hierarchy. Within this […]
Set within the lush landscapes of Bharanikavu in Kollam, Arcade – a single storey residence that blends tropical modern architecture with colonial and traditional elements. Designed for a businessman, his wife (a teacher) and their two daughters, this house showcases a shared interest for elegance rooted in familiarity. This Single Storey Home Sits Amidst Lush […]
Noah’s Ark is a contemporary residence designed as a calm and welcoming home with a clear planning. The client’s brief was to create a home that felt simple, warm, and timeless without becoming overly minimal or impersonal. Noah’s Ark responds by blending clear planning, honest materials, and personal elements, resulting in a house that is […]
Located in HMT Layout, Bangalore, Isha_Srinidhi Nilaya stands as a multi-generational home designed on a compact 60×40 ft (2400 sq. ft) East facing plot, with a total built-up area of 8000 sq. ft. East Facing a lush public park, the residence responds to its urban setting through a layered design that balances privacy with a […]
Nestled within a 30×40 ft plot is the compact house design in Banashankari 6th Stage, Bengaluru. This residence for the Ellappans, reimagines traditional Indian living in a contemporary, spatially dynamic form. Designed for a family of three- Mr. Ellappan, his wife, and their teenage son- the house expresses a deep connection to vernacular roots while […]
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]
Architecture font choices go beyond style—they shape how your work is perceived. From portfolios to presentations, the right architecture font instantly communicates clarity, precision, and personality. As architects, we design not just with space but with every detail, including typography. Selecting a strong architecture font shows your commitment to visual storytelling and design consistency. In […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]