Nestled between a series of courtyards, verandahs and pockets of green plantations lies a serene family home built for a multi-generation family. This 5-bedroom abode uses local architectural features and water bodies to channel natural light and air in order to regulate optimal circulation and room temperature throughout the built form.

Every room of this residence faces a green lung directly: a courtyard, a balcony, a verandah or a patio while a quarter of the ground floor area is a double-height open space to evoke airflow. Built on a sustainable design model, mechanical ventilation and lighting is minimised as much as possible.

The green lungs

The house is distinguished by a plethora of green breathers, some of which open to the sky, others to the exteriors, and yet others to different inner spaces. Eastern sunlight filters through a narrow planter bed on the kitchen and breakfast spaces, allowing light while filtering out heat.

A vast courtyard and verandah screen off harsh southern and western afternoon light, while double height open to sky breathing spaces bring in abundant sunlight throughout the day.

The northern side is kept mostly open and glazed to let in cooler air. A water feature at the entry pays homage to ancient entrances by chilling in the scorching western breezes.

The ground floor’s core north-south axis is an open plan for domestic activity, and its double height links users to these breathing areas. A manicured yard in the centre of the house provides additional ventilation to the open central layout.

The domestic nest

This residence is approached from the west, passing through a verandah, an informal sit-out, and a water pond. A formal living room is distinct from everyday domestic rooms. The latter is a ground-floor open plan with an informal wash area, eating areas, lounge places, and the stairs.

A master bedroom, a second bedroom, and service spaces extend from the central core. Vertically, the majority of the central household core is distinguished by its eye-catching double height areas.

On the first floor, three further bedrooms and an office area sprout from this volume. Each bedroom is kept in its own corner of the house, allowing maximum seclusion and diverse views from each room. A separate office area overlooks the home entry from its own building at the plot’s south-western extremity, above a car porch.

Materials and colours

With a backdrop of such verdant greenery around the house, traditional tones of white and teak are balanced by more contemporary shades of beige and grey. Large beige marble slabs contrast with engineered teakwood parquet on the flooring. The same teak appears on the railings, doors, ceiling features, and window frames.

Further, this teak is also used for bespoke details like a room divider screen, an exterior ceiling canopy, highlight walls, a rotating TV panel, main entrance double door and the consecutive open space double doors, window blinds and the main gate.

These are interspersed with grey highlight walls, grey exterior patterned stone claddings, grey veneer in the study and black granite in the kitchen counter, courtyard flooring and the entrance verandah.

These are accompanied by subtle furniture items, accentuating rooms with a few selected pieces such as a crimson reclining couch. Light fixtures have been meticulously positioned, embellishing the home like a series of gems.

The exterior is adorned with a row of led lights on the ceiling canopies, which extend inside as lines of light, replicating the air flow patterns that go over the open area.

Outdoor spaces

The outdoor clings to the indoors on each side of the house, fusing the inside and outside very craftily. One can transition from the outer to the inner space smoothly from each side of the plot, just as in a clearing of a forest.

The house unfolds as a theatre, revealing a plethora of material palettes: handmade brass handles and metalworks, fabric screens made of vernacular block-prints, cabinet shutters tinted with indigenous patterns and colours that add a freshness to the woodworks; all enacting their own roles in the play.

 

Blue and yellow riots embellish the spotlight spots. A blue patterned wall in the ground floor office is complemented by a rustic wall mosaic in the uppermost table-tennis floor. With similar-colored shelving and custom-made seats, the library nook blooms. Native materials are framed over royal blue seats in the living area, and an artist’s contrasted black and white line art is gently placed on a goddess wall. The kitchen is maintained simple yet rustic, with the emphasis on the numerous scattered accents.

 

Each of the four bedrooms reflects the personality and character of its users.  Bathrooms and walk-in dressers remain spacious and functional, flooded with natural  light and rustic features.  

 

The third floor is an open play area; a well shaded terrace for sweltering summers and the monsoon, a home cinema with a bar to entertain guests and a table tennis lounge that unfolds as a party floor.