House of Heights: How design shapes relationships and well-being? “A house can transform its people. The living room, the tallest space in my home, is where we socialize, express our feelings, and spend the most time—an open arena for life’s conversations. The impact of front elevation design on home and harmony further emphasizes how thoughtful design choices influence the aesthetics and the connections and well-being.”
Editor’s Note: “This ‘House of Heights’ reflects the vertical grace of the tall trees surrounding it, fostering seamless connections with the landscape. Large windows, angled roofs, and double-height jalis blur the boundaries and invite nature into everyday experiences. This symphony grounds the house into its surroundings while also imparting it with openness, natural light, and vibrancy.” ~ Anusha Sridhar
The Impact of Front Elevation Design on Home and Harmony | Idam Design Studio
The Designer – When designing a home for oneself, the result is often deeply personal—each corner holds meaning. This is the story of a designer who collaborated with an architect to create a home that functions not only as a space but as a transformative environment for his family. Moreover, the house has shaped their daily lives, relationships, and well-being.
The Family – “I grew up in a small traditional house in Thamarakulam, surrounded by green farmland and tall trees. However, this environment inspired me to create a home embracing height and openness. The design features interconnected spaces with minimal barriers, allowing the space to breathe.”
The Designer – “We transitioned from dark, narrow rooms to a bright, airy home. Now, we spend more time together, especially in the sit-out area and living room. The windows offer different world views, and we enjoy cooking together while keeping an eye on the entrance. Additionally, the absence of walls between rooms makes everything feel open, and the upstairs simplicity suits our needs perfectly.”_Amma & Acha
The design draws inspiration from the tall trees on the site. Large windows offer views of the greenery, establishing an organic connection with the landscape. The house feels both rooted in the land and reaching towards the sky, blending indoor and outdoor spaces through glass and double-height Jalis.
The open-plan living areas encourage communication and shared experiences, yet the layout offers a few quiet nooks for personal moments — an exploration of more shared spaces than private. This has allowed the family to embrace a more holistic lifestyle, where the world doesn’t feel distant but deeply integrated into our daily rhythm.
The tall front elevation stands proudly, with a triangular side elevation offering an architectural surprise. The house features unique views through narrow and wide windows, creating different perspectives. The open kitchen serves as the heart of the home, with islands designed for interaction and visual access to all spaces. Full-height Jalis allow cross-ventilation, while sunlight filters through inclined concrete slabs, creating dynamic light patterns. Reviving the traditional red oxide material, the adjacent reading space is a celebration of texture and craftsmanship. The connected doors next open to the garden seamlessly linking indoors and outdoors. The bedroom’s full-height windows provide a view of the moon at night and the sun in the morning. The balcony, a peaceful retreat, offers sounds of birds and rustling leaves, ideal for yoga or meditation. The roof provides a perfect angle to watch sunsets, offering a quiet escape.
Fact File
Designed by: Idam Design Studio
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: House of Heights
Location: Kayamkulam, Kerala
Year Built: 2023
Project Size: 3067.71 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Jishnu Vijay, Govind S Mohan & Prijith Vijayan
Photograph Courtesy: Out Of Focus
Manufacturers: Hafele, Jaquar, Kajaria, Nuvocotto
Source: Archdaily
Firm’s Instagram Link: Idam Design Studio
For Similar Project>> This Aesthetic Courtyard House With Lush Landscape Design Offers A Calm Aura To The Users
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 […]