Conceived as an ancillary retreat, this guest house design sits just a stone’s throw from an existing farmhouse where a couple frequently escape their fast-paced life in Bangalore. But can steel, in all its cool rationality, hold the tenderness of home, especially in a hot, humid landscape? Crafted by the architectural studio Śūnya, helmed by Sai Keerthana and Shiv Nayak, this 1,750-square-foot structure in Thally, Tamil Nadu, stands as a robust proof that it can.
With Sculptural Steel Roof, This Guest House Design is Robust yet Tender | Śūnya
“It was never meant to be extravagant,” says principal architect Keerthana. “They wanted something that felt like an extension of the land, and of themselves.” To that end, the shell is unapologetically modern: a steel frame, raised over two levels. But its expression is anything but industrial. Akin to vernacular memory, a sloping terracotta-tiled roof lends familiarity and scale, tempering the crispness of the metal skeleton.
Rough-plastered walls, deliberately pared back, allow the lush surroundings to take visual precedence. Every detail is intentional: narrow glazed slits on the east and west filter in daylight while reducing solar gain. And louvred clerestory windows tucked between the sloped and flat roof slabs usher in breeze and a soft, ambient glow. “The idea,” she says, “was to let in just enough daylight, without turning the interiors into a furnace.”
The material strategy extends beyond aesthetics. With RCC filler slabs speckled with earthen pots and a kadappa-cobbled porch that mimics a woodland path, the home unfolds as a thoughtful, climate-conscious refuge designed for slow unwinding. Overhangs on the north and south ends shield against harsh sunlight, creating shaded spill-out zones that dissolve the binary of interior and exterior.
Inside, a restrained shell of whitewashed walls and Kota underfoot sets the tone. Yet, it’s the teak accents that intervene with its quiet authority, carved into door frames, hovering as open shelves, and edging into furniture lines with a warmth that pierces through the home’s stoic coolness.
A full-height hinged door, over 10 feet tall, unfurls into an expansive, open-plan communal space. There are no partitions: just an easy flow from living to dining to a compact kitchenette tucked at the far end. The living area is grounded by a custom U-shaped masonry sofa with curved arms wide enough to lounge or nap on. “It was designed to hold a crowd, family, friends, grandkids running around,” Keerthana smiles. Ochre-hued Jaisalmer inserts in the flooring nod to the handmade, while expansive bookshelves draw the eye upward to the double-height ceiling.
Decor remains muted, drawing richness from cane pendant lights by Bamboo Pecker, banana fibre planters from Palasa, and cushions sourced from Fabindia and Freedom Tree. Together, they speak a language of subtle comfort. Even in its understatement, the space resists sterility. In the dining corner, a quartet of sage-green chairs delivers a note of chromatic levity, just enough to lift the eye without disrupting the hush.
But perhaps the most poetic design move lies hidden in plain sight: a central column, originally meant to bear the load of the filler slab above, has been sculpted and hollowed to act as a baluster along the staircase.
“We didn’t want to box it in or pretend it wasn’t there,” says Keerthana. “So we shaped it in a way that let it naturally become part of the staircase.
Upstairs, the mood shifts into sanctuary. A sun-washed bedroom, modest in scale, is elevated by detail. A wooden headboard wraps around an Ikea metal bed nestled in a niche, facing clerestory windows that shield views while letting in slivers of light and sky.
On one side, a long study desk seamlessly extends into a daybed, while opposite, twin slit windows frame fleeting glimpses of the property’s green expanse.
By dusk, the house glimmers from within, its carefully placed lights turning walls into veils of light and shade. That glow, both literal and emotional, captures what the space really offers. “It’s a guest house,” Keerthana reflects, “but more than that, it became an exploration of how to truly switch off. Not a space for show, but for being.”
Fact File
Designed by: Śūnya
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Urukka Veedu [ Steel House ]
Location: Thally, Tamil Nadu
Year Built: 2025
Duration of the project: 2024-2025
Project Size: 1750 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Sai Keerthana & Shiv Nayak
Photograph Courtesy: Vedant Sharma
Text Courtesy: Mehar Deep Kaur
Products / Materials / Vendors: Planters – Palasa / Cane pendant lights – Bamboo Pecker / Cushions – Fabindia and Freedom Tree
Firm’s Instagram Link: Śūnya
For Similar Projects >> This Cantilever House Harmoniously Blends Design With Nature
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 […]
The design of the house prioritises connectivity to nature by incorporating green elements like vertical gardens or landscaped courtyards. This is achieved through various means, such as large windows framing scenic views, outdoor living spaces seamlessly merging with the surrounding landscape. The emphasis on connectivity to nature creates a serene and harmonious environment, fostering a […]
“Viraam,” a 4000 sq ft house design that embodies its literal translation: “a pause.” The vision is to create a sanctuary for relaxation, introspection, and to escape from the constant demands of daily life – an urban void for personal retreat. Editor’s Note: “Viraam is not just a house, it’s a pause. A place to […]
The facade of this Indian contemporary house design strikes a careful balance between solids and voids, with sculpted forms that reveal the inner workings of the space. The design plays with light and shadow, creating visual depth and intrigue from the exterior. The form resembles a cuboid that has been scooped out, while the outer […]
This 5 storey building takes inspiration from ancient haveli architecture. “Hailing from north India, the family held deep nostalgia for haveli, large residences with communal courtyards called chowks, projecting balconies called jharokhas and intricate brick or stone lattice screens called jaalis, vernacular to many western and northern regions of India,” said SJK Architects partner Vaishali […]
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 […]
This remodelling project aimed to revitalise a load-bearing house while respecting its original integrity and adapting it to contemporary needs. The design approach prioritised minimal structural intervention, allowing the existing framework to guide spatial reconfiguration. Careful consideration was given to preserving the load-bearing walls, which formed the backbone of the original construction. Openings were strategically […]
Nestled within a 30×40 ft plot is the compact house design in Banashankari 6th Stage, Bengaluru. This residence for the Ellappans, reimagines traditional Indian living in a contemporary, spatially dynamic form. Designed for a family of three- Mr. Ellappan, his wife, and their teenage son- the house expresses a deep connection to vernacular roots while […]
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 […]