The project is situated in a riverine area at Aluva in the state of Kerala, where an industrial home design has been envisioned for a Non-Residential-Indian family that visits their homeland annually. The location of the site holds special meaning to our client, who grew up in a riverfront house at the banks of Periyar. The location is reminiscent of his childhood memories.
Editor’s Note: Rooted in memory and crafted for reunion, this riverine retreat blends industrial poise with heartfelt warmth. Sunlit courtyards and flowing spaces echo a life once lived and now lovingly reimagined. A home where nostalgia meets modern ease inviting moments of pause and quiet celebration. ~Isha Bora
This Industrial Home Design Is Inspired By Riverfront Childhood Memories | DesignLoom Architects
The project earned the nickname ‘Transformer House’ owing to its semi-pre-fab nature of construction. It blends sharp industrial features with soft, free-flowing spaces. As a result, the home offers a thoughtful combination of voluminous and intimate areas for the client.
They envisioned their house to entertain and host the many relatives and friends who visit. This meant a spacious living, dining and kitchen.
The living space opens up to a private outdoor patio where the family holds barbecue parties. The dining space opens up to a semi-open courtyard, with a glass ceiling and vertical perforations.
The occupants often enjoy a quiet morning and evening tea in this sunlit space. A sliding window visibly connects the courtyard to the kitchen.
The voluminous space with a high ceiling, clerestory windows, and skylights contrast the more private, cosy, intimate spaces.
This three-bedroom residence has a multipurpose upper living that is used as a TV room, workout space and can also be converted to bedroom space by using the convertible sofa.
Ample storage spaces were an essential aspect of the design brief. The colour palette used includes warm tones of terracotta, with cool tones of cement finish grey, steel and glass against a neutral white. The black granite and kadappa stone finish provides a balancing contrast to the cool tones.
The design incorporates clay jali walls, double heights, and perforated sky-lit courtyards to achieve uninterrupted airflow and ample natural light, responding to Kerala’s coastal humidity and rising temperatures.
The staircase acts as the core of light and ventilation by providing additional air movement by discharging the rising hot air through a wind-powered industrial revolving ventilator.
The design carefully places these openings and perforations on the east side, allowing morning rays to fill the building. These aspects have reduced the need for electric lights during the day and any need for air conditioning.
The use of prefabricated 12 x 3-meter glass fibre reinforced gypsum panels (GFRG) for the walls, with its vertical ribs filled with concrete, insulates the interior space from the heat outside.
The gypsum used in the manufacturing of the panels is an industrial by-product that otherwise ended up in landfills polluting the environment.
These innovative panels are a better insulator to heat than conventional wall materials like brick and concrete blocks. the smooth and straight wall surface achieved by GFRG panels allowed for avoiding plastering of walls.
Using the GFRG panels for walls, the superstructure was completed in 100 days, saving time and cost. Collectively, the design vocabulary and construction material ensure considerable temperature reduction inside the building and adequate lighting and ventilation throughout.
Fact File
Designed by: DesignLoom Architects
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Transformer house
Location: Aluva, Kerala. India
Year Built: 2022
Duration of the project: 2 Years
Built-up Area: 3000 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Ar. Mithun O Raghavan & Ar. Meghna Anilkumar
Photograph Courtesy: Running Studios
Contractors: Shellarc / GFRG constructions
Products / Materials / Vendors: Wallcovering / Cladding – cement texture, stone finish walls. Construction Materials – Column Footing & Frame Structure + GFRG panels / Sanitaryware – CERA Windows – Teak,, Anjili Wood, Aluminium windows / Furniture – various, handmade / Flooring – Johnson / Kajaria / Kitchen – Hettich / Trojan Ply /Merino Lam / Paint – Asian Paints / Artefacts – various / Wallpaper – various Hardware – various
Firm’s Website Link: DesignLoom Architects
Firm’s Instagram Link: DesignLoom Architects
For Similar Project>>>This Classy Modern Bungalow Design is in Thane
“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 […]
In Tiruppur’s industrial heartland, where the rhythm of textile mills sets the tone, the layered architecture in this Villa offers a quiet counterpoint. Shaped by stillness, proportion, and cultural memory, the home reflects the clients’ vision for a contemplative retreat. Set on a square plot within a gridded residential layout, the residence embraces architectural restraint […]
Nestled in what was once a coconut orchard, Sanctum serves as a sanctuary for a retired couple. Their daughter & a feline companion join them to offer a tranquil environment for everyday goings-on. The site is a 60’ x 90’ portion of land with six coconut trees. Two teak wood & silver oak trees, each […]
Tucked into the calm, tree-lined lanes of Nagarbhavi in Bangalore, Avani Residence rises as a poetic response to the chaos of the city, a vertical sanctuary where light dances, materials breathe, and space unfolds in gentle rhythms. Designed by Archemist Architects for a family of four, the residence is a nuanced interplay between constraint and […]
The designers envision Asterix Café as a flagship destination that challenges café design conventions. While coffee culture often associates with warm, pastel tones, Asterix dares to be different by embracing darkness as its defining aesthetic. Designed by UrbanNest Design Studio, the bespoke cafe is a bold experiment in creating a multi-functional, community centric space where […]
Adorn, a home filled with earthen design and the laughter of a family of four, nestles in the peaceful neighborhood of Selvapuram, Coimbatore. “On one side, it shares boundaries with cozy family homes; meanwhile, the other side opens to expansive fields dotted with tall trees.” The fresh air scented with greenery sets a calming atmosphere […]
Situated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, Anandvan residence beautifully embodies biophilic design, fostering a deep connection with nature through its thoughtful integration of outdoor and indoor spaces through open courtyards. Open Courtyards And A Biophilic Design Connect The Outdoors With The Indoors | R+R Architects Location The location and surroundings played a significant role in determining the […]
What if the simplest object in your home could turn into a design icon? Tectona Grandis Furniture and The Architects’ Diary come together to introduce the Chair Affair. This is India’s first-of-its-kind furniture design competition that dares architects and designers across India to rethink the most essential piece of furniture – the Chair. Beyond function, […]
In a calm and serene residential area of Mysore, a 10,000 sq. ft. site with mature mango and coconut trees set the stage for Eden Kindergarten school. One half of the land was already occupied by an existing block, while the other half was shaded by the canopy of old trees. Instead of altering this […]
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 […]