The design started from an old house where a family of seven stood, one yet to be born. Hari & Sreelakshmi, Usha-Hari’s mother, Malathi, teacher, Hari’s grandmother, kids, Sankari, Paru, and yet to be born Sreebala. Four generations living in a 60-year-old house that had begun to show its age with dimly lit rooms, leaking walls, and a lack of facilities, still age has limited their house with its responsibilities, which made them think of a new house. Located in Pallickathodu, Kottayam, a 22-cent hilltop plot slopes 24 feet across. With a southern road, it gets constant airflow. Saba house follows the natural terrain without affecting movement.
Editor’s Note: “More than a home, Saba is a breath of belonging. Designed for comfort, it emerges from the red land to hold the winds of Kottayam within its warm expanse. It’s where light filters softly, tales whisper softly, and four generations coexist in harmony, grounded by terrain, memory, and modernity.” ~ Anusha Sridhar
Saba House Is A Wind-Catcher of Memories and Modernity | Project 51 A (h)
The old house’s dim, divided rooms kept residents apart. In the new design, all areas except bedrooms and toilets are open, shared spaces. The entry leads to the living, dining, and kitchen areas. Usha’s and the grandmother’s rooms are on the same level for easy access.
The kids’ space is six feet lower, with a study and bedroom below. The master bedroom is four feet above the living area, linked by a bridge. Openings from the kitchen and passage connect visually to the kids’ area. All bedrooms face north toward lush greenery; the grandmother’s room on the northwest overlooks her old home—an emotional anchor.
To enhance ventilation, wind catcher walls with perforated openings were placed on the southwest. A skylight between them brought daylight to common areas.
The 10-foot-high main door, designed to channel airflow, was shifted west for privacy and circulation. When openings are closed, a jack arch roof—comprising elongated brick vaults on beams—allows continuous airflow through side vents without compromising privacy.
The designers used solid expanses of red for the walls to cut the wind stream, extending the color into the interiors and furnishings. They chose red for its contrasting yet complementary quality against the lush green surroundings, allowing the house to stand out from the rubber plantations that envelop both the site and the old house.
The sole purpose of the house was to accommodate all the residents without compromising the light and air ventilation within the limits of the area and budget. Moreover, the applied color made the house a marker in the neighborhood.
Upon entering the new house, grandmother Malathi Teacher felt a breeze she had never felt in her old house. She gave the house a name with the breeze she felt, which depicted a purpose the house holds, Saba.
Saba ensures accessibility, with elders’ rooms on the same level as the living space. The children’s rooms are on a lower level, six feet down, with their study area and bedroom further down the staircase. The master bedroom, above the kids’ space, is accessible via a bridge.
Openings from the kitchen and a passage to the master bedroom create a visual connection with the children’s areas, integrating the space. Bedrooms face the north side, offering views of the landscape and rubber plantation, while the grandmother’s room faces the northwest, connecting emotionally with the old house she lived in.
Fact File
Designed by: Project 51 A (h)
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Saba House
Location: Pallickathodu, Kottayam, Kerala
Year Built: 2024
Project Size: 2540.28 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Ar. Nandagopal B & Ar. Shrilakshmi K
Photograph Courtesy: Prasoon Suresh
Source: Archdaily
Firm’s Instagram Link: Project 51 A (h)
For Similar Project>> This Six Bedroom House Design Offers an Experience That is Refined
Our urban landscapes are undergoing a rapid transformation, pressured by burgeoning populations and increasing demands on city infrastructure. To address these escalating challenges, urban planners continually revise zoning regulations. In Delhi, for instance, a significant regulatory change introduced mandatory stilt parking on small urban lots with four habitable floors above. Gurugram, a satellite city, subsequently adopted […]
K’s Veranda, the latest pizzeria in the story of K’s Charcoal in Ahmedabad, embodies the spirit of Hiren Patel Architects + Design (HPAD) — crafting spaces that breathe, balance, and belong. What once was a lively, open lawn beside the restaurant has blossomed into a soulful retreat. Here, walls seem to melt into the landscape, and the indoors […]
Set on a 1 acre plot, this North Goan Home inspired by Portuguese Architecture was built a century ago by the erudite Dr. Aquilino Almeida. He was a famous surgeon and doctor of Western India, having been well educated in Edinburgh. He had travelled the world on deputations across Africa, Middle East, Afghanistan. Being Royal Medical […]
Amidst the quiet rhythm of nature, this farmhouse emerges as an architectural retreat – a seamless balance of leisure, comfort, and understated luxury. Designed as a contemporary sanctuary away from the bustle of the city, the residence is imagined as a space where modernity meets serenity, and architecture becomes a bridge between people and the […]
As industrial landscapes evolve, so do the spatial and cultural demands of the workplaces within them. In response to the growing operational and experiential needs of an existing agro-industrial unit in India, this office extension is conceived not as a mere addition of square footage, but as a spatial and philosophical intervention—anchored in ideas of […]
Tucked within the leafy lanes of Sagar Society, Hyderabad, this 7,450 sq. ft. villa rises as a contemporary residence deeply anchored in tradition and nature. Three towering trees frame the structure at its entry, their organic silhouettes tempering the scale of the built form and setting the stage for a home that balances architectural gravitas […]
“Even within the smallest green lies all the purity and freshness of Eden.” This idea became the seed for Eden Moss, a home nestled in an ecological environment and imagined as a breath of freshness, evoking the scent of mud after rain, and seamlessly intertwined with nature while still embracing comfort and contextual charm. Nestled […]
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]
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 […]