Pallak: An Ayurvedic Resort Paying Ode To Ancient Heritage of Kerala | Uru Consulting

The word Pallak in Malayalam means Palanquin, a covered litter carried by an even number of bearers. Team Uru’s (Uru Consulting is a design and project management consulting firm based in Calicut, Kerala) journey with their project “Pallak” started where the youngest son of a family in Kottakkal, Kerala, got a 2 acres plot along with the ancestral house in his name after partition.

As he approached Team Uru, the client’s lack of interest in living in a 12000 square feet house of antiquity was inter-twined with the nuclear family’s perception of an urban lifestyle.  Nevertheless, he did not want to let go of the property. The conundrum was to be solved by a wonderful idea: Considering the value of medical tourism in Kottakkal, a place renowned for its Ayurvedic heritage, transform the property into an Ayurvedic resort. Thus, with a stringent budget, the project was to be materialized in two phases: 1 acre for each phase.

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A “Nalukettu”: Home to Hospitality

During the first phase, it was decided to work on the adaptive reuse of the house, and transforming the 1 acre plot around it into a recreational space. One thing the client was particular about was being able to give the customers the true essence of Kerala. Team Uru envisioned the transformation of the plot and the traditional “Naalukettu” Kerala house, chiefly keeping in mind the foreign customers who found a sanctuary in the calming greenery and rich heritage of Kerala. The idea of an amphitheatre came in order to give the customers an experience of the visual and aural marvel of Kerala’s unique art forms like Kathakali.

The multipurpose amphitheater was intended not only to thrill the visitors with enthralling performances of Kerala art forms but also to calm them with Yoga training. The treatment area and related amenities were conceived inside the “Nalukettu”. 

It was an arduous process turning the traditional house that basked in its antiquity and rooms that did not welcome even light in, into a hospitable space for patients and other guests. Safder (Principal Designer, Uru) talks about the challenges and how Team Uru tackled them working on the interior of the “Nalukettu”.

“One of the main constraints was the narrow rooms without either proper ventilation or bathrooms. We provided attached bathrooms for every room. When we found defects in the timber structure, we solved them by using girders. With the advanced technology of waterproofing, the dampness issue was covered. Sometimes, we also merged two adjacent rooms to make a spacious and well-lighted room.

Small doors and steps also were challenges considering the function of the Ayurvedic treatment. Ramps were created in order to make the movement of wheelchairs possible. During the renovation and landscaping, we were specific about keeping the contours unchanged and gave pathways of laterite stones connecting different levels. The amphitheater is the only exception where we enabled steps as part of the design.”

Even the unused, eerie attic was worked out into a fairy-tale-like space by giving it proper access through stairs. The plumbing was another hard work that found fulfillment and so was replacing all the interlock tiles with laterite ones with the only exception of tandoor stones as stepping stones. One can sense how Team Uru envisaged Pallak as a home to hospitality.

Villas: Mirroring the Earthen Past

Kerala’s traditional architecture is a blend of Dravidian and Vedic structures, greatly influenced by its maritime partners- Chinese, Arabs, Europeans. It is deeply rooted in the elements of earth. The villas constructed in the plot, outside the treatment area mirrors this ancient structure of the ancestral house. The walls of laterite stones with unplastered, exposed finish, the clay tiles of terracotta from Chalakkudy for the floors and roofs, and a colour palette that embodies rusticity and earthiness, have contributed a great deal in mirroring the poetic beauty and the earthen past of Kerala Architecture.

Landscaping: A Faunal Narrative

As Team Uru visited the plot for the first time, the area was covered with only some coconut trees. Ever-committed to their green initiatives, Team Uru changed Pallak’s faunal narrative into a green lush of tropical plants and trees, especially the ones with medicinal qualities according to Ayurveda. It is also carefully landscaped in such a way that it requires less maintenance.

Phase II: Pallak’s Journey Continues

One thing Pallak can boast of is its budget-friendliness. In terms of opulence, it has completely done away with luxurious embellishments. Team Uru has maintained the place just as it used to be, old ancestral home and its orchard, with quite an unassuming air, while still making it functional and recreational in so many ways. They are currently working on the second phase of the project, in which a restaurant is included. Pallak’s journey continues. What else can offer a more royal journey than a Palanquin?

FACT FILE:

Architecture Firm: Uru Consulting

Project Type: Adaptive Reuse – Heritage Resort

Project Name: Pallak Heritage Resort

Location: Kottakkal, Malappuram

Year built: 2020

Size: sq feet: 20000

Principal Designer: Safder Machilakath

Photograph courtesy:  Prasath Mohan ( Running studio)

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