The BR house is located in a suburban neighborhood about 12 km away from Kazhakootam, a satellite city of Trivandrum, Kerala. This 3580sqft house is located on a fairly 9 cent rectangular plot set in the midst of a tightly packed housing area with a narrow road that leads to it. It is designed for a family of four members. The client, a well travelled person working in Switzerland was highly influenced by the work culture and philosophy behind scandinavian designs. He loved the sophisticated simplicity in scandinavian designs, a mindset that reflected his own. This was indeed the genesis from which the core values of the design emerged. Integrating this with the context is the fundamental plot in which the design was steered.
The North West facing side of the plot houses the buffer zones like the sitout, foyer and staircase room, which helps to provide a thermal buffer to the living and dining areas. The drawing, dining and the open kitchen forms a continuous open space which is well cross ventilated and naturally lit with a skylight parallel to the staircase. The huge sliding door/window opening provided on the stair landing and the living room below ensures that the common spaces are well cross ventilated. It is possible to leave them open at night as well since both these openings are protected from sun and rain and are well secured using metal box sections. The natural light from the skylight makes the spaces look much brighter and bigger. Internal courtyards have been intentionally avoided as the house is likely to be left unoccupied for 20% of the time, so maintenance of indoor plants would be unsustainable. The ones used are in mobile pots so that they can be transferred for care when the house is unoccupied.
A neutral heavy colour palette of white walls and grey flooring with accents of turquoise green sofas helps to make the space look bright and airy. Accents of wood can also be seen in the sliding doors and handrail. Spaces have been decluttered from excessive detailing, excessive furniture and excessive decors and emphasis is on the simplicity of spaces. The accents used in the living room and some of the bedrooms are the clients own photographs taken during his travels.
