Editor’s Note: Some homes carry a strong connection to where a family comes from. This residence draws from its clients’ agricultural roots in Pochampalli, bringing vernacular ideas into a contemporary home shaped around gathering and togetherness. The central courtyard, traditional seating, stone masonry, jaali blocks, and handcrafted details create a sense of familiarity, while skylights and carefully placed openings bring in soft light and natural ventilation. The home also responds thoughtfully to its tropical climate, using greenery, shaded spaces, and layered walls to reduce heat. The result is a warm and grounded residence where tradition, climate, and family life come together naturally. ~ Yashika Bajaniya
The site occupies a north-west corner plot measuring 36.5’ x 80’. The north and south sides form the shorter edges of the site. The project seeks to create a strong sense of belonging for the clients. Their ancestral roots lie in agriculture, with their family settled in Pochampalli beside the Thenpennai River. The climate is tropical with hot and humid summers and mild winters. The linear house divides the layout into three distinct zones: public, semi-public, and private areas.
On a North-West Corner, This Linear Home Translates Ancestral Roots | Masonry Of Architects
The north-eastern corner accommodates the parking area. A grand staircase leads from the parking to the foyer. Rustic-sized stone masonry lines one side of the staircase. A vaulted Hurudi filler slab crowns the entrance, adding a rustic character. The staircase opens into a semi-public foyer with traditional thinnai seating on both sides. A tall stone wall screens the parking, provides privacy, and creates a flexible space for gatherings and congregations.
The house opens up directly into a courtyard with stone seating around it in the belly/central region of the house and levels down into the north western private living space that confines the green cover setback on the north and west side to give a backdrop for the seating and to reduce the heat and to increase the oxygen levels inside the living space as well.
The wall features a corrugated concrete pattern and rises to a height of 7 feet. Jaali blocks and polycarbonate sheets follow an angular alignment to filter daylight into the north-west living area. This arrangement creates a soft, diffused glow while reducing heat gain. Upon entering, the double-height courtyard opens into view, with a portrait wall directly opposite the entrance. Traditional brackets embrace the columns, adding a crafted vernacular character to the space.
The southern part houses a stairwell crafted in MS fabrication and wood, adding subtle character to the home. Opposite the stairwell, the dining area creates a natural space for gathering. The house primarily uses rattrap bond masonry with plastered surfaces. Size stone masonry appears selectively wherever the design calls for added texture and material expression.
The staircore is covered with a three floor stone wall acting as a barrier against the harsh western sun.the south eastern part has kitchen that is designed in a monochromatic color theme with modern and functional essentials.The kitchen also has a private utility and a dry store room as a part of design.the edges inside the house are curved or blunt on the corners to enhance the ergonomical balance of movement and function.
The center of the staircore has a hexagonal pooja mandap designed with staggered hexagonal on the top such that skylight enters the centre of the deity.The house is devised to transcend the diffused light that falls and reflects throughout the house without hindering visibility and resisting the heat.
The first floor has identical staircore and courtyard core the carry forward the light and ventout the air though the side of skylight like a stack vent.The muttram/courtyard has a see through from top which creates a visual dialogue inside the house through different volumes.
First floor has a study and work area with a private balcony.the north eastern corner has a semi enclosed sitout with vertical granite flaps which when opened creates a outdoor environment and when closed creates a enchanting place for congregation .
The house also revolves around a theme of providing space for leisure ,meeting and gathering such that it acts as a catalyst for social movements and congregations inside .
Fact File
Designed by: Masonry Of Architects
Project Type : Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Muttram Manai
Location: Pochampalli, Krishnagiri, Tamil Nadu
Year Built: 2025
Project Size: 6000 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Ar. Sabarish Thirumurthy & Ar. Tamilselvan Kannan
Photograph Courtesy: Robin Shibu
Firm’s Instagram Link: Masonry Of Architects
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