Nature is an omnipresent entity that cannot be eschewed or disregarded; it perpetually proclaims its presence either by seeping through the cracks or gallantly thriving alongside humans. Thus, the custodians of sustainability at 7th Hue Architecture Studio, have incarnated the latter concept in Kashish, referencing the classic styles from the region’s previous lifetime. Inside this 3,330 sq. ft. minimalistic abode, the architect conjures a sense of sharing space with nature, making it the inhabitants’ steadfast roommate, permeating each space with its tranquil mood.

“We wanted to merge the boundaries between inside and outside, we always believe in co-living with nature,” explains Shyam Raj Chandroth, of 7th Hue Architecture Studio.

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Nature’s Playing Field

Kerala’s natural segueing imagery- placid backwaters, rolling hills smothered with tea plantations, and gleaming sun-kissed beaches- has earned it the title of ‘God’s Own Country’. In Thrissur, a piece of land experiences a sense of correspondence, as a velvety quilt of blooming greenery obscures it from the cacophony of the city’s tiresome mundanity. Cuddling with the flora while receiving ghoulish visitations from the wafts of the pastoral lands beyond, “We wanted the building to get camouflaged” explains Shyaam. And camouflaged it is! With a modest double-storey floor plate and an italic roof tenderly enclosing the spaces beneath, a continuum of greenery aids and abets the fugitive alias, Kashish.

The region’s vernacular architectural style, deeply conscious of its context with elements derived from the surrounding milieu and the foregoing pages of ancient mythology, holds a special place in the hearts of the natives. Thus, the clients- a couple and their two sons, wanted a home that adhered to the yardsticks set by the region’s conventional architecture, “Traditional architecture has got a connection with nature,” asserts the architect. This abode’s love affair with nature comes to light right at the entry, as one gazes at the open space adorned with greens. After crossing a narrow, murky pathway alongside verdures spilling over the compound wall, a laid-back yard forms the foreground of the home.

The Art of Co-Living

While soaking in the tranquillity of the front yard, Shyam further clues us in, “When we asked them (clients) what you really mean by a traditional house, they’ll be telling me we want sloping roofs, we want wooden pillars, verandahs.” He adds, “Collecting those traditional elements and incorporating that in the contemporary lifestyle,” led to the fashioning of a slender canopy buoyed by a duet of exposed concrete columns, resembling a Padippura. Often spotted at the entrance of traditional Kerala homes, a Padippura is a humble assembly with a sloping roof that marks the entry. In this case, it shapes the entrance to the inner sanctum.

Traipsing up a set of stairs, with trickling greenery caressing one’s shoulders, a verandah veiled with dainty shrubs parlays as a sit-out space, subtly coalesces into a courtyard beyond. An unpredictably charming sequel to the exterior transpires as a wooden door handholds the visitors into the inner sanctum, only to discover a courtyard instead of a foyer. This courtyard is filled with vignettes from nature, Shyam explains, “... acts as the heart of the house..., so we have trees, we have plants, we have greens, sunlight,”. Further, alluding to the balmy character of the courtyard, he adds “At the same time, we wanted a water element also, so we introduced the swimming pool.” The jitterbug of ordered chaos, brewing objets borrowed from the surroundings, creates a realm packed with joie de vivre for the entrants. This leads to the living spaces via French windows, “So, they don’t have to go to the courtyard... they can sit in the living space and feel that they are inside the courtyard,” Shyam reveals.

The verandah offers both a direct route along with a scenic route, where a rather prolonged, conventional-looking corridor greets the visitors. This corridor becomes “the circulation core of the house that will lead to the living and dining space,” Shyam claims. At the crossroads where the long corridor meets the sliding window of the courtyard is a living area in hues of grey with a pop of chrome tint rented from the sun. This double-height space, with colossal apertures, extends an invitation to the surroundings, rendering the space airy and light.

A diaphanous wooden partition leads to a dining area, featuring a wooden troupe that serving as the seating, while a chandelier resembling the trees’ branches infuses a soft glow onto shared meals. With an escape to the backyard through a floor-to-ceiling window, this space forms an ephemeral connection with the yard and a perpetual bond with ample natural light and ventilation. A kitchen area peers behind a breakfast counter, a step further from the warm woody ambiance of the dining table. This entire living cohort “was arranged in a way that everything is open, and everything is focusing towards the courtyard,” Shyam reveals.

Bedtime Stories from The Courtyard

In the courtyard, beyond the susurrus of the swimming pool, is a floor-to-ceiling window leading to the clients’ private bedroom. The austere bedroom is snuggled in a corner from where “the courtyard should be completely visible or completely private,” explains Shyam. A bay window, playing with the dramatics of chiaroscuro, houses seating disguised as storage for a quick nap during the lazy afternoons. Careening away from leisurely activities, a stark wall with a series of fanlight windows works to pull out the hot air, establishing it as a cool space to chill by the poolside.

As the sun's golden speckles cavorted in the courtyard, an almost industrial-looking staircase posed as a literal art installation. “We placed the staircase right above the water body so that whenever they move through the staircase, they feel like they are moving above the water body” the architect gushes. This antithetical transit space, with wooden treads and blunt stripes of black metal, acquiesces to co-exist genteelly, mimicking the firm’s and home’s ideologies. This Elysian arbour, with skylights and palm wood fins on the façade, sunbathes in ample amounts of natural light, citing a vernacular concept termed Nadumuttam. “Nadumuttam means bringing life, nature, light and everything into the house,” Shyam translates.

While hiking the artsy staircase, a jutting balcony reveals vestiges of a son’s private sanctuary. “We have a cantilevered balcony which is also leaning towards the central courtyard,” Shyam corroborates. This tranquil bedroom displays a corresponding motley crew, including bay and fanlight windows, and a day bed for napping while connecting with the courtyard through the balcony. The only difference between the two rooms is a sloping roof with clerestory windows. “In Kerala, as we are living in a tropical climatic zone, we decided to go with one side sloped, sandwiched panel roof,” the architect justifies. This room, with its aesthetics, wooden accents and grey hues, follows the concept of paying homage to the vernacular with a hint of contemporary flair.

An unambiguous juxtaposition of greens and neutrals, with occasional pops of chrome, seems to indulge Kashish, in a game of hide and seek, where the hinterland saturated with trees conceals it. With a sultry haven at its core and the city’s vernacular architectural style in its bones, the habitat blurs boundaries between the splendour of nature and a sense of belonging in humans. “A place you can be most comfortable, most cherished, most loved, that is Kashish for us,” reminisces the client (the lady of the house).

To watch the complete home tour, peruse the drawings in detail, and browse additional photographs, visit Buildofy. While there, don’t miss out on the other impressive contemporary homes in Kerala and across India.