The clients, a prominent family hailing from Miryalaguda near Hyderabad, Telangana wanted to build their new family home in their hometown that would be a 'fresh' and 'different' approach to the existing regional trends which were mostly of a modern and contemporary design language, and which they felt were bland and 'lacked a vernacular identity'.

 

Having visited Kerala on multiple occasions and having a special liking for the region and its climate, they envisioned a home that would incorporate elements of Keralan architecture, and left  it to us the architects to interpret and realize their wishes.

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From an architectural standpoint this was a very interesting scenario wherein the clients wished to incorporate architectural features of a different climatic region than that of their hometown/ proposed location. We started by solving the fundamental climatic requirements that the spaces had to satisfy especially considering the semi-arid climate of the region;

• shield the external walls from the harsh sun

• avoid direct sunlight, prefer diffused daylight for interior spaces

• create small open-to-sky courtyards that let in daylight as well as pleasant breezes during the night/ winters

• avoid large glass windows and surfaces facing direct sunlight (to minimize heat gain)

• use water bodies if possible to naturally cool the interior spaces

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The house was then designed with a semi-detached wall, roughly 2 to 3 metres offset from the outer walls, running around the building on 3 sides. This ensured visual privacy and also reduced direct heat gain on the outer walls and interior spaces. The open spaces between the peripheral wall and outer wall of the building were then designed as landscaped open courtyards, foyers, walkways and corridors, along with a shallow water pond adjacent to the public entry. The clients' wishes of incorporating Kerala's architectural features were also achieved by designing louvered 'box rooms' acting as virtual pavilions serving different functions separated by open spaces in the interior, thus invoking the feeling of an open building with multiple 'pavilions', but at the same time providing complete privacy and security for the residents.

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Area

9000 sq.ft.

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Status

Ongoing (Schematic Design)