The Kalarigram House is located on the outskirts of Auroville, within a site that houses a Kalari school of martial arts and a treatment center. This traditional house design was for the Kalari master, his family, and guests attending various treatments and workshops. The client’s requirements emphasized creating a versatile multifunctional space. It integrates rich traditional elements and local vernacular with modern living standards.
Editor’s Note: “Cocooned in the warm, rustic embrace of brick, the residence in Auroville evokes a timeless charm, seamlessly blending traditional living with modern comforts. The grand central courtyard, pitched roof, and open spaces enhance natural ventilation and elevate the allure of the home. Classic brick jaalis bestow a unique character upon the dwelling, infusing it with a touch of traditional elegance.” ~Simran Khare
This Traditional House Design in Auroville was Designed for the Kalari Master | Badoloka
Given the active environment surrounding the house, including the Kalari school and clinic, the primary design goal was to enhance privacy by inwardly orienting the building. This approach led to the establishment of a central courtyard, which serves as the house’s focal point.
Surrounding open spaces adjacent to the courtyard was adaptable for informal living areas, private art and music performances, workshops, and other activities. The courtyard also plays a crucial role in providing natural light and regulating the microclimate within the house.
The design allocated formal, enclosed spaces only for the eight bedrooms. Meanwhile, areas like the living room, dining area, and kitchenette have an open arrangement around the courtyard.
This layout fosters a sense of openness, connectivity, and social interaction among residents and guests. Main cooking activities are centralized within a larger kitchen block outside the house; hence, a smaller kitchenette is provided here for lighter cooking tasks.
The bedrooms feature large bay windows screened with brick jalis on the exterior. These ensure privacy from the activities around the house, facilitate natural ventilation and cooling during the summer, and cast intricate patterns of light that enhance the aesthetic appeal of the spaces while shielding them against the intense summer sun. These brick jalis give the house a distinctive character as its exterior skin. They add a traditional yet elegant touch, often blending cultural heritage with modern aesthetics.
This attic space serves multiple functions, primarily acting as a versatile area for workshops and gatherings. Additionally, it serves as a barrier against rainwater leakage and excessive heat from the sun, thereby protecting the bedrooms below.
An informal open terrace for evening parties, accessed through the house and also independently from the outside by a spiral staircase, leads to the top floor of the house, which includes an attic space with clay tile roofing.
The architectural framework surrounding the courtyard was experimental, blending traditional stone pillars with a robust foundation of concrete and beams to support the slabs. The rest of the house utilizes locally sourced bricks for load-bearing purposes, which is initially a manufacturing defect, distinguished by their surface pattern.
This unique feature of the exposed brick surface was embraced to impart a distinctive character to the residence, complemented by exposed cement plaster, cast iron, and wood finishes throughout, achieving the raw aesthetic and timeless quality envisioned from the inception of this project.
Fact File
Designed by: Badoloka
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Kalarigram House
Location: Auroville, Tamil Nadu
Year Built: 2022
Built-up Area: 5000 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Praveen Ram
Photograph Courtesy: Studio Frameify
Firm’s Instagram Link: Badoloka
Firm’s Facebook Link: Badoloka
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 […]