Conceived as an ancillary retreat, this guest house design sits just a stone’s throw from an existing farmhouse where a couple frequently escape their fast-paced life in Bangalore. But can steel, in all its cool rationality, hold the tenderness of home, especially in a hot, humid landscape? Crafted by the architectural studio Śūnya, helmed by Sai Keerthana and Shiv Nayak, this 1,750-square-foot structure in Thally, Tamil Nadu, stands as a robust proof that it can.

With Sculptural Steel Roof, This Guest House Design is Robust yet Tender | Śūnya

Design Intend

“It was never meant to be extravagant,” says principal architect Keerthana. “They wanted something that felt like an extension of the land, and of themselves.” To that end, the shell is unapologetically modern: a steel frame, raised over two levels. But its expression is anything but industrial. Akin to vernacular memory, a sloping terracotta-tiled roof lends familiarity and scale, tempering the crispness of the metal skeleton.

Illuminating with Daylight

Rough-plastered walls, deliberately pared back, allow the lush surroundings to take visual precedence. Every detail is intentional: narrow glazed slits on the east and west filter in daylight while reducing solar gain. And louvred clerestory windows tucked between the sloped and flat roof slabs usher in breeze and a soft, ambient glow. “The idea,” she says, “was to let in just enough daylight, without turning the interiors into a furnace.”

Material Tactility

The material strategy extends beyond aesthetics. With RCC filler slabs speckled with earthen pots and a kadappa-cobbled porch that mimics a woodland path, the home unfolds as a thoughtful, climate-conscious refuge designed for slow unwinding. Overhangs on the north and south ends shield against harsh sunlight, creating shaded spill-out zones that dissolve the binary of interior and exterior.

Warm Interiors

Inside, a restrained shell of whitewashed walls and Kota underfoot sets the tone. Yet, it’s the teak accents that intervene with its quiet authority, carved into door frames, hovering as open shelves, and edging into furniture lines with a warmth that pierces through the home’s stoic coolness.

Living Area

A full-height hinged door, over 10 feet tall, unfurls into an expansive, open-plan communal space. There are no partitions: just an easy flow from living to dining to a compact kitchenette tucked at the far end. The living area is grounded by a custom U-shaped masonry sofa with curved arms wide enough to lounge or nap on. “It was designed to hold a crowd, family, friends, grandkids running around,” Keerthana smiles. Ochre-hued Jaisalmer inserts in the flooring nod to the handmade, while expansive bookshelves draw the eye upward to the double-height ceiling.

Muted Decor

Decor remains muted, drawing richness from cane pendant lights by Bamboo Pecker, banana fibre planters from Palasa, and cushions sourced from Fabindia and Freedom Tree.  Together, they speak a language of subtle comfort. Even in its understatement, the space resists sterility. In the dining corner, a quartet of sage-green chairs delivers a note of chromatic levity, just enough to lift the eye without disrupting the hush.

Baluster Detail

But perhaps the most poetic design move lies hidden in plain sight: a central column, originally meant to bear the load of the filler slab above, has been sculpted and hollowed to act as a baluster along the staircase.

“We didn’t want to box it in or pretend it wasn’t there,” says Keerthana. “So we shaped it in a way that let it naturally become part of the staircase.

Bedroom Design

Upstairs, the mood shifts into sanctuary. A sun-washed bedroom, modest in scale, is elevated by detail. A wooden headboard wraps around an Ikea metal bed nestled in a niche, facing clerestory windows that shield views while letting in slivers of light and sky.

On one side, a long study desk seamlessly extends into a daybed, while opposite, twin slit windows frame fleeting glimpses of the property’s green expanse.

By dusk, the house glimmers from within, its carefully placed lights turning walls into veils of light and shade. That glow, both literal and emotional, captures what the space really offers. “It’s a guest house,” Keerthana reflects, “but more than that, it became an exploration of how to truly switch off. Not a space for show, but for being.”

Fact File

Designed by: Śūnya

Project Type: Residential Architecture Design

Project Name: Urukka Veedu [ Steel House ]

Location: Thally, Tamil Nadu

Year Built: 2025

Duration of the project: 2024-2025

Project Size: 1750 Sq.ft

Principal Architects: Sai Keerthana & Shiv Nayak

Photograph Courtesy: Vedant Sharma

Text Courtesy: Mehar Deep Kaur

Products / Materials / Vendors: Planters – Palasa / Cane pendant lights – Bamboo Pecker / Cushions – Fabindia and Freedom Tree

Firm’s Instagram Link: Śūnya

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