Shilaya—derived from śilā, meaning stone—is a home in Kotagiri, a small town nestled in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu. Kotagiri was the earliest European settlement in the region during the colonial era. Today, enduring stone cottages, churches, and missionary schools define Kotagiri’s architectural character. Shilaya stands on the brownfield site of one such historic stone cottage, which had partially collapsed over time.
This Historic Stone Cottage in Kotagiri Finds New Life as Shilaya | Meister Varma Architects
This gave the project two clear directions. One was to avoid any additional cutting on the mountain slope and situate the cottage within the footprint of the old structure. The second was to salvage all of the original dressed stone for building the external walls.
The ecologically sensitive status of the region prohibits the extraction and production of building materials. As a result, the architects used lightweight steel for most of the superstructure, including the roof, and brought it to the site as largely prefabricated components from the plains, while retaining the existing stone walls.
The use of these two contrasting materials along with the North-South orientation informs the plan of the house. Steel-framed clay tile roofs cap the living and bedroom blocks. A sundeck connects the two volumes while accommodating the bathrooms below. In the living and dining areas, the linear stone walls give orientation and depth.
Within this rises a grid of steel columns that culminates in a skylight running the entire length of the roof. In the bedrooms, stone walls form intimate orthogonal enclosures with deep ferrocement bay windows. A helical stair leads to a skylit attic, where the architects introduced a lounge and hobby desk.
Stone is also used on the thresholds and interstitial spaces as flooring paired with teakwood infill. The infill drywalls between the steel framework are finished in limewash. The large glazing of the clerestory windows and gabled facades is made from wired glass common to conservatories and arboretums in this region.
Fact File
Designed by: Meister Varma Architects
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Shilaya Cottage
Location: Kotagiri, Tamil Nadu
Year Built: 2025
Project Size: 2400 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Krishnan Varma
Photograph Courtesy: Syam Sreesylam
Manufacturers: Jaquar Artize, Kajaria ceramics, Vitrum
General Contractor: JJ Facade Cladding, TK Jayan, Shaji Francis, Team Interiors, K Designs, Local Hands Project
Engineering & Consulting > Structural: WVA Consulting Engineers
Lighting: Interstellar
Electrical: XN Electricals
Source: Archdaily
Firm’s Website Link: Meister Varma Architects
Firm’s Instagram Link: Meister Varma Architects
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