This tropical residence which spans 1750 sq.ft across 3 levels, has been built on a nutmeg grove, beside river Kurumali in the outskirts of the sleepy town of Pudukkad. My clients wanted a simple, climatically responsive home removed from the grind of city modern life, to relax during leisure. They also confessed to their desire to ‘leave behind a slice of green’ for their children and grandchildren to savor. The aim was to create a calm presence that allows the noises of modern life to fade away. It offers the luxury of silence, where one can feel still and at ease.
Leaving Behind The Modern Life, This Couple Wished A Relaxing Life Within Nature | Studio Idiom
We attempted to maintain all the trees on site and to design a space that celebrated them. The house does not break the green when viewed from the road. The roadway meanders around the nutmeg trees, revealing the house only as one reaches the final stretch.
The clients have aligned the building to the cardinal directions at their behest. The main living spaces are located on the upper levels in response to frequent river flooding. The ground level includes a tool room, farm produce storage, a car porch, and a rest room. A raised ‘platform’ sits between the house and the river, designed to merge the built into the unbuilt.
A partially double height open living zone on the upper level houses the communal spaces (living, dining and kitchen all fused into one). This space has a transparent facade which extends the visual envelope beyond the interior, drawing in the nutmeg trees and the diffused sunlight creating a constant dialogue between its occupants and the environment.
A semi-covered metal balcony lines the southern edge of the communal zone, facing the river and overlooking the platform below. It serves as a quiet retreat amid the canopies of the nutmeg trees.
A multi-purpose mezzanine nests over the dining and kitchen spaces opening on to terraces on either side. The sit-out space at the first-level entrance and the familiar axial layout evoke South Indian vernacular memories. Together, they create a sense of familiarity and cultural continuity.
An exposed brick structure houses the other more private spaces- the single bedroom, and the bathrooms. The punctures on the exterior walls of this block are smaller making these spaces darker and more intimate (and cooler).
The designers have planned the house for a family unit of 2–3, with the flexibility to accommodate up to 6 people if needed.
The ground level seating space and the swing alongside it, give us an unobstructed view of the flowing river under the canopies of the trees. In the first level, as we sit in the ‘entrance sit-out’, the living spaces or the balcony, we can feel the gentle embrace of the thick foliage.
We see little else, but the diagonal branches, the dancing leaves and the filtered sunlight. The gable roofed mezzanine engages less with the trees and more with the sky, giving it a meditative quality.
Mud brick masonry was used as the neighborhood abounds in mud brick and tile factories.
The key strategies employed to reduce heat gain are the use of rat trap bond masonry, the insulating air gap in the twin layered tile roof, the generous overhangs, the positioning and size of the openings along the outer walls.
In addition to the above, the spaces were carefully laid out to create a thermally comfortable environment as the clients wanted to forgo the use of mechanical air conditioning. The tall water tank structure on the west side protects the mezzanine and the bedroom in the first-floor level from the hot western Sun.
Positioned within the vegetation, the architects provided a transparent facade to the living zone. It is shaded from the sun at all times, making it comfortable even during the harsh summer months.
The generous openings keep the spaces well-ventilated which is vital in the humid climes of Kerala. Two triangular wire mesh windows below the ridge of the mezzanine tile roof facilitate stack effect which further augments the ventilation.
Fact File
Designed by: Studio Idiom
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: The Nutmeg House
Location: Pudukkad, Kerala
Year Built: 2022
Duration of the project: 2 Years
Plot Area: 3650 Sq.m.
Built-up Area: 1750 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Shwetha Viswanath
Photograph Courtesy: Syam Sreesylam
Products / Materials / Vendors: Construction Materials – mud brick / Lighting – Phillips, orient / Doors and Partitions – steel frames and teak shutters / Sanitaryware – Grohe / Windows – steel frames and aluminium shutters / Furniture – Wooden / Flooring – cement flooring, marble / Kitchen – black granite counter top / Paint -Asian Paints
Consultants for the Project: Civil – Projem Consulting Pvt Ltd / Interior Designers – Idiom Design Landscape Architects – Idiom Design / Structure Engineers – Projem Consulting Pvt Ltd / Contractors – Mr. Tomy. C / Project Managers – Mr. Biju T.P.
Firm’s Instagram Link: Studio Idiom
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