“We want to enjoy the rain, from every room of our house”, was the initial statement made by the clients in their project brief. “The Color Burst House” was the result, and it included three enormous, double-height open-to-sky courtyards where all of the main rooms could open into. The Courtyard House allows the occupants to enjoy the rain, light, and breeze with the changing seasons from the comfort of their rooms.
The Courtyard House Allows The Occupants To Enjoy The Rain, Light, And Breeze | LIJO RENY architects
Visit : LIJO RENY architects
The simple yet bold rectangular form of the building is softened at both ends by means of walls and frames extending into the landscape, the car porch with the terrace garden above it, and the transition of the tropical garden into a dry garden around the entry.
The entrance to the house is through a modest skylit landscape and the pavilion-like sit-out that is exposed to the landscape and serves as an outdoor living area. The experiment in blurring of indoor and outdoor, shaded and open, and built and unbuilt begins here in the project.
The house placed perpendicular to the road with the landscape surrounding it has three bays of horizontal development designed to make use of the site’s length and the direction of the prevailing wind. In the primary bay, the car porch, sit-out, living, powder room, kitchen, and work area are arranged in the indicated order.
The secondary bay has the bedrooms and their toilets flanking the staircase and a hidden courtyard to which all the bedrooms open. With the dining room in the middle and an indoor patio above it that serves as the family room in this home, these two bays are joined by two large double-height courtyards in the central bay.
These courtyards in conjunction with the carefully placed monsoon windows in them and the horizontal strip ventilators opening to the exteriors in each room create a microclimate inside the house that helps keep the house cool during the hottest months.
The internal spaces seamlessly flow into one another, creating an openness even a wheelchair-bound young resident in this house enjoys.
Tropically lush vegetation covers the courtyard between the living area and the first bedrooms, giving the private bay the required visual separation.
However, the courtyard that connects the kitchen, dining, study, and the second bedroom has less vegetation to encourage movement through it and is used as an alfresco dining or a space to unwind.
The moniker of this project refers to the burst of colors employed throughout the home. The house is filled with contagious energy by the orange, black, white, and grey hues that appear on the walls, furniture, wall art, metal fabrications, décor items, soft furnishings, etc.
Collaborations with some incredibly talented people make this project unique. Product designers Ajay Shah of ASDS and Kopal Kulkarni of Honest Structures designed and produced some new metal furniture and altered some of their earlier designs for the color burst house.
The metal sculptures designed by the architects were made by Raju Antony, a skilled fabricator, at Protech. Artist Sasi Bhaskaran of Brave New World worked on the client’s favorite theme, ‘Rain.’
The end product is a collection of wall art that contain abstract fragments of text, poetry, and Malayalam folk songs inspired by rain.
Fact File
Designed by : LIJO RENY architects
Project Type : Residential Architecture
Project Name : The Colour Burst House
Year : 2022
Location : Chavakkad, Thrissur, Kerala
Area : 5403 Sq.ft
Principal Architects : Reny Lijo
Project Team : Dhanayan KS, Mohamed Shamel, Alfred Francis, Bibin Jacob & Dinesh D
Photograph Courtesy : Praveen Mohandas
Firm’s Website Link : LIJO RENY architects
Firm’s Instagram Link : LIJO RENY architects
Firm’s Facebook Link : LIJO RENY architects
For Similar Projects >> MINIMAL, SLEEK, AND EARTHY DESIGN FOR THE KALRAV VILLA IN AHMEDABAD, GUJARAT
Few homes are celebrated for their iconic interiors, while some are celebrated for their open layouts. True to its unique context and subtleties, this home with a monochromatic palette, designed by Ar. Saumya Khanna & Ar. Sudhir Ambawata Co – founders & principle architects of SSDA Architects brings the essence of volumetric design and a […]
Adopting sustainable living today, both in design and daily life, is crucial for reducing our environmental footprint and preserving resources for future generations. In the design of this bamboo pavilion, this means using eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient technologies, and creating spaces that harmonize with natural surroundings. In daily living, sustainability involves mindful consumption, reducing waste, conserving […]
Tucked into the lush landscape of Thiruvananthapuram, Aashiyana is a residence that balances context, climate, and craft. Designed by architect Srijit Srinivas, this bungalow is conceived as more than a tropical retreat-it is a spatial journey where bold colour, filtered light, and thoughtful materials orchestrate a distinctive atmosphere. Nestled Amidst Lush Landscape Aashiyana Balances Craft […]
Situated on a compact 1200 sft south-west corner plot, this residence was conceived as an inward-looking sanctuary for a family of four — a home that balances privacy and openness, light and enclosure, within the dense urban fabric. This Residence Was Conceived As An Inward-Looking Sanctuary For A Family Of Four | The Insideout Studio […]
Project 1374 is located in one of the plotted developments in the north of Bangalore, characterized by well-demarcated plots, open spaces, spacious roads, and organized infrastructure. Trees flank the wide streets, dividing the plots with dense canopies offering shaded avenues. Abutting the plot stood a cluster of trees- a quiet presence. We borrowed these trees […]
‘Roots’ was an experiment to build sustainably but not confer to the design language typically associated with sustainable buildings. This residential project re-considers the expression of sustainable architecture through a minimalist and materially grounded lens. Located on a 4,000 sq.ft. plot, the designers conceived the house for a family of three and their pet, organizing […]
This project was planned in between lockdown when the client realized the importance of open space close to nature, aligning with a greenery house design that was required by the client’s aging parents and his young kids. Editor’s Note: Rooted in stillness and shaped by togetherness, this home flows gently between the indoors and nature […]
The Sanctum in Amritsar, designed by Renesa Architecture Design Interiors Studio, stands as a rare architectural experiment in India. It is an attempt to reinvent the domestic typology through geometry, material, and spatial narrative. Spread over 12,000 sq ft on a generous 3 acres plot, the house positions itself as a contemporary meditation on permanence and […]
Mishti’s House by KD ASSOCIATE is a striking example of contemporary residential architecture that blends modern aesthetics with mindful design. The facade features a harmonious mix of exposed red brick, smooth white plaster, and wooden-toned vertical fins, creating depth and visual balance. A unique geometric lattice screen with a Buddha motif serves as both a […]
Located in HMT Layout, Bangalore, Isha_Srinidhi Nilaya stands as a multi-generational home designed on a compact 60×40 ft (2400 sq. ft) East facing plot, with a total built-up area of 8000 sq. ft. East Facing a lush public park, the residence responds to its urban setting through a layered design that balances privacy with a […]