Ruby’s Cube | Srijit Srinivas – ARCHITECTS
The clients – Dr. Ruby Abraham a Civil Engineer and Principal of a leading Engineering College in Trivandrum, and her husband Mr. Raju A.J. an Advocate, desired a distinctive look for their second home on a small, three cent (i.e. 121 m2) plot of land in a crowded residential part of Trivandrum city.
Visit: Srijit Srinivas – ARCHITECTS
The resultant overall composition eponymously titled ‘Ruby’s Cube’, took the form of a platonic cube augmented by a slight truncation of one top corner. Given the tightness of the site, set in a busy and cluttered neighbourhood with a paucity of good vistas, the design opted to rather focus inwards, and create a cloistered ‘oasis of tranquillity’ in the midst of chaotic surroundings. The tight programming methodology employed for the Entry Foyer, Living Room, Staircase, Dining, and Kitchen, expressed itself in a seamless design-flow forming a near contiguous space but with nuanced articulation.
The ensemble is further ‘tied together’ by the double-height volume above the Living Room and Staircase, enduing a sense of vastness and uplift to this central zone of the building. Custom designed sets of louvres are used on external walls to allow for continuous airflow and cross ventilation through the inside of the house. The Dining Room – with its signature modernist boxy ‘chandeliers’, opens out to an enclosed landscaped courtyard.
The openness in planning, the use of big joinery openings and the care taken in spatial planning endows the interior areas with a spacious feel. The stairs were treated with cement plaster finish, with a minimalist design deployed for the handrails using simple in GI tubes painted black. A recessed alcove space was created underneath the stairs to house a writing nook. The centre of the stairs has space for an internal ‘micro garden’.
The Master Bedroom opens out to a courtyard at the rear and abutting the property’s boundary wall, allowing for free entry and passage of light and breezes. It incorporates safety grills built from rebars, affording a soft visual touch to what is typically an obtrusive safety feature. The en-suite wet areas are also similarly extended out into an enclosed landscaped court.
The Living Room located on the first floor offers good views downstairs to the Living Room on the ground floor living room and intervening stairwell. The design has allowed for a home theatre room at the rear side, for subsequent execution in the future. The Bed Room located on the first floor towards the front has a balcony has louvers which ensure privacy while bringing in cooling breezes. The visual effect in these rooms is also a striking feature.
A cement finish scheme was used for all walls of the house, while the ceiling was painted white. Natural terracotta floor tiles were then used to give a warm yet subtle contrast to the walls and ceiling. The front façade features terracotta jali work under-girded by metal-framed glazing, to create visual interest. Overall a minimalist scheme was used for the furniture, with some being designed and others externally sourced.
Fact File:
Architects: Srijit Srinivas – ARCHITECTS
Architect: Srijit Srinivas
Area: 153 m²
Year: 2020
Location: Kerala
Design Team: Remya Raveendran, Sriya, Deepika
Clients: Dr. Ruby Abraham & Adv. Raju A.J.
Photographs: Prasanth Mohan, Running Studios
Source: Arch Daily
Website: https://www.srijitsrinivas.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/srijitsrinivasarchitects
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/architectsrijitsrinivas/
Editors’ Note – This colonial house in Delhi carries an ambience of grandeur, infused with the elegance of Victorian-style colonialism. Expansive living, dining, and kitchen areas open into light-filled spaces framed by large glazing that connect seamlessly to the surrounding landscape. Inside, tropical interiors with bold geometry add a contemporary layer of comfort. The residence […]
“Hilltop House” is envisioned as a contemporary yet context-sensitive residential project that harmonizes architecture and interior design to create a sanctuary perched on a scenic elevation. The design will respond directly to the topography, climate, and panoramic views, while delivering a highly functional, comfortable, and aesthetically refined living environment. This Hilltop House in Indore Is […]
In the layered urban grain of Manjeri, the Timeless House reimagines a 1970s sloping roof residence through careful transformation. It’s a home that doesn’t shout for attention, but quietly repositions itself within its time and place, a sensitive reinterpretation of memory, material, and movement. Originally built in 1972, the house was structurally sound, featuring load-bearing […]
Editor’s Note: There’s something truly special about homes crafted with thought and care—where every corner and detail speaks to its users, becoming part of their memories. For siblings Akhila and Kaushik, Sona Reddy Studio brought this vision to life in One Summer House, a rustic farmhouse tucked within the vibrant city of Hyderabad. Designed with […]
This southwest-facing bungalow, with golden accents in its interiors, is a refined expression of contextual and climate-responsive modern architecture. The home embraces its orientation with an intelligent façade design that balances aesthetic appeal and environmental performance. With the sun’s harshest rays hitting the structure in the latter half of the day, the architects incorporated a […]
This North Facing villa opens towards the East to always soak in the cool and diffused light. Its orientation is mindful of the adjoining clubhouse and its expansive garden. The planning allows the villa’s private lawn to visually merge with it, creating a larger and cohesive space. With a connection to the open space at […]
An Urban Sanctuary Woven with Craft, Warmth, and Light Explicitly tucked into a quiet residential pocket, this home with a jaali facade is a thoughtfully layered expression of calm, character, and craftsmanship. Every surface and corner is rooted in intention — where light, material, and memory meet. The Jaali Design in this Layered Home Exudes […]
Set in the serene landscape of Nashik, the Dabholkar Residence by GDA is a home, embracing stone clad walls. Here, tradition and contemporary design exist in harmony. Designed to reflect the family’s deep connection to tradition and art while embracing the style of contemporary living, it is a space where architectural details, heritage furniture, artwork […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]
Aangan is a modern residence that seamlessly integrates with the lush environment of Kerala, showcasing a tropical home design. Designed to embrace the region’s warm climate, the house features a striking sloped terracotta roof at varying levels, enhancing both its aesthetic appeal and functional efficiency. The structure is enveloped in a vibrant tropical landscape, adorned […]