Earth’s Embrace is envisioned as an eco-retreat amidst a coffee plantation where architecture grows from the land itself rather than being imposed upon it. Designed by Raving Dots Studio, the project is guided by two principles: organic form and ecological responsibility.
This Eco Retreat Amidst A Coffee Plantation Is Organic In Form And Ecologically Responsible | Raving Dots Studio
Designers conceived the cabin as a sculptural ferrocement shell, shaped through parametric modeling to optimize material use and align with the site’s natural contours. The design embraces the terrain, weaving into the tea plantation slopes without disturbance. Builders finished the shell with breathable mud plaster and shaded it with a locally sourced thatch roof, allowing the architecture to weather and evolve with its environment.
This philosophy reflects a belief that sustainability must be embedded in the design process itself, not treated as an afterthought. With an integrated Earth-Air Tunnel system for passive cooling, minimized cut-and-fill, preserved tea plantation vegetation, and a measured embodied energy of 4.19 GJ per m², Earth’s Embrace demonstrates how computational tools, vernacular knowledge, and ecological sensitivity can converge into an architecture that is both parametric in method and vernacular in spirit.
The retreat is located within a 4-acre hillside plantation in Wayanad, Kerala, a setting rich in biodiversity and dramatic topography. The building nestles into the natural slope, with minimal excavation and preserved vegetation shaping the overall siting.
The structure is oriented westward, opening up to panoramic views of the valley and sunsets, while circulation paths meander organically through the plantation to connect architecture with landscape.
The form emerged through parametric modeling, producing a ferrocement shell that is both thin and robust. This approach reduced surface area and optimized embodied energy, achieving 4.19 GJ/m², significantly more efficient than conventional tropical retreats. The breathable mud plaster regulates thermal comfort, while the thatch roof provides shade and integrates naturally with the plantation backdrop.
Inside, the retreat offers a continuous spatial experience shaped by organic curves. Circular windows frame landscape moments, while carved niches double as built-in seating. Material tactility — mud plaster, wood, and natural fibers — strengthens the immersive quality of the interior, grounding the space in its context. Light filters through strategically placed apertures, transforming the atmosphere across the day.
An Earth-Air Tunnel passive cooling system reduces reliance on mechanical conditioning, achieving comfort through natural airflow and heat exchange. Native planting is preserved and extended, turning the project into a living ecological participant rather than an isolated object.
Earth’s Embrace is less a cabin and more an experience, a place of pause, reflection, and reconnection. It enables users to feel the rhythm of wind, light, and landscape as inseparable from the architecture itself.
The project draws inspiration from vernacular tropical building traditions, where climate and context shaped form long before mechanical systems existed. At the same time, it is informed by the possibilities of computational design, where parametric tools enable performance-driven geometries. The retreat takes cues from Earthship architecture in its passive environmental strategies, but reinterprets them in a contemporary, organic vocabulary suited to the Kerala hillside.
Fact File
Designed by: Raving Dots Studio
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design ( Eco Retreat Cabin )
Project Name: Earth’s Embrace
Location: Kalpetta, Wayanad, Kerala
Year Built: 2025
Duration of the project: 1 Year
Project Size: 1149.47 Sq.ft
Project Cost: 60 Lakhs
Principal Architect: Ar. Rohit B Anandan
Team Design Credits: Aparna K, Prathyush Sathyan & Keerthi LakshmiPhotograph Courtesy: Ar. Akshay Babu
MEP & HVAC Consultants: PassiveFlow LLP
Products / Materials / Vendors: Wallcovering / Cladding – Birla Opus Waterproof Paint / Construction Materials – Ferrocement shells / Lighting – Changi Lighting / Doors and Partitions – Steel and wood composite / Sanitaryware -Jaquat / Windows -GI / Furniture –3d Printed furniture – Konface Pvt Ltd Flooring – Exposed Concrete Finish – Kwalkrete Pvt Ltd / Paint –Birla Opus / Artefacts – 3d Printed at Raving Dots Studio
Firm’s Website Link: Raving Dots Studio
Firm’s Instagram Link: Raving Dots Studio
For Similar Project >>> This Home With Double Height Living Spaces Is A Microcosm Of Liveliness
In a landscape where aspiration quietly waits, Granthalay emerges as a circular building and sanctuary for learning—gathering people, knowledge, and place into a shared civic moment. Granthalay is conceived as a civic institution that extends beyond the conventional idea of a library, responding to the acute lack of educational and community infrastructure in the district […]
A dilapidated old manor house in Jaffna peninsula, with warped roof beams, warped door windows and many structural defects were presented to the architects for refurbishment- by clients- to be refurbished as a retirement home for themselves who were returning to Sri Lanka after escaping to overseas due to the 25 years old North East […]
This residence is a sincere exploration of how architecture can remain simple, climate sensitive, cost-effective, and emotionally grounded, without compromising on spatial quality or design intent. Conceived as a 3BHK modest home for a small family, the project stands as a testament to what is possible when thoughtful planning, craft-oriented construction, and material intelligence come […]
Design, when it emerges as a living tapestry, turns the experience of living into a vibrant everyday narrative. Baldota House in Alandi, Pune by ARCHOS accommodates three generations under a single roof in the area spanning 7500 Sq. Ft. Spearheaded by the family’s desire for a generous space and a theatrical essence along with balanced […]
Few homes are celebrated for their iconic interiors, while some are celebrated for their open layouts. True to its unique context and subtleties, this home with a monochromatic palette, designed by Ar. Saumya Khanna & Ar. Sudhir Ambawata Co – founders & principle architects of SSDA Architects brings the essence of volumetric design and a […]
Adopting sustainable living today, both in design and daily life, is crucial for reducing our environmental footprint and preserving resources for future generations. In the design of this bamboo pavilion, this means using eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies, and creating spaces that harmonize with natural surroundings. In daily living, sustainability involves mindful consumption, reducing waste, conserving […]
Tucked into the lush landscape of Thiruvananthapuram, Aashiyana is a residence that balances context, climate, and craft. Designed by architect Srijit Srinivas, this bungalow is conceived as more than a tropical retreat-it is a spatial journey where bold colour, filtered light, and thoughtful materials orchestrate a distinctive atmosphere. Nestled Amidst Lush Landscape Aashiyana Balances Craft […]
Situated on a compact 1200 sft south-west corner plot, this residence was conceived as an inward-looking sanctuary for a family of four — a home that balances privacy and openness, light and enclosure, within the dense urban fabric. This Residence Was Conceived As An Inward-Looking Sanctuary For A Family Of Four | The Insideout Studio […]
Project 1374 is located in one of the plotted developments in the north of Bangalore, characterized by well-demarcated plots, open spaces, spacious roads, and organized infrastructure. Trees flank the wide streets, dividing the plots with dense canopies offering shaded avenues. Abutting the plot stood a cluster of trees- a quiet presence. We borrowed these trees […]
‘Roots’ was an experiment to build sustainably but not confer to the design language typically associated with sustainable buildings. This residential project re-considers the expression of sustainable architecture through a minimalist and materially grounded lens. Located on a 4,000 sq.ft. plot, the designers conceived the house for a family of three and their pet, organizing […]