Peace of Paradise

For this serene and modern home in Thrissur set in lush surroundings, Mudbricks takes cues from a golden shower tree.

Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Justin Sebastian, courtesy Mudbricks

The brief

Set in the semi-urban context of the famed Kodungallur town (in Thrissur, Kerala), project “House of Dappled Shadows: Nestled in the Mango trees” was designed by Thrissur-based Mudbricks for a client based in Dubai. “The client’s primary wish was for a simple and beautiful home at his home town. The design evolved considering the site’s location in an urban context and taking into account the client’s interests and need for hosting guests and friends. The fundamental arrangement of spaces was based on spatial zoning, clearly demarcating public and family and private zones; to have spacious and quality spaces to entertain guests and hold family gatherings while providing a desired level of privacy to family areas,” informs Surya Prasanth, principal architect, Mudbricks.

The site

The site originally consisted of two beautiful foliaged mango trees and a thulasi thara (the place where the holy tulsi is worshipped). As these trees complemented the site beautifully, Mudbricks decided to retain them. Overlooking the site stands a striking golden shower tree (Cassia Fistula), spraying the ground with its lovely yellow flowers. The aesthetics that this tree possessed, and its distinct personality made it impossible not to integrate it into the design of the house — inspiring its basic concept. The jaali patterns, which has been incorporated into several elements throughout the residence, takes cue from the intriguing patterns of the flowers of the golden shower tree.

The design intent

Amidst the serene landscaping stands the residence with the golden shower tree up front, imprinting a strong visual identity. The frontage was intentionally designed to feel lighter, through the positioning of jaalis, perforations and openings — along with the usage of lightweight materials — to bring in the aesthetics and ambience of the mango tree. The interior spaces impart a premium sensory experience to the user, from the calming sounds of water, fresh fragrance of the plants, filtered rays of sun, patterned shadows falling upon the plain walls and elegance of the colour palette, that give the spaces a strong aura.

The design and material details

The foyer opens into a courtyard featuring a water wall, pebbles and money plants. Beyond the passageway next to the courtyard, a calming water body with a fountain is separated by a grill-less openable windows which connects the interiors with the serene landscape.

The living area is not a typical room confined by four walls, rather it forms the central binding space with its open planning — connecting all the rooms in this house. The open planning and the jaali wall near the stairwell bring in patterned sunlight and ventilation into the spacious room, ushering a feeling of openness and lightness. The living room is minimalistic in design with customised wood furniture and hints of foliage.

Through detailed discussions, it was deemed essential to provide five bedrooms — a master bedroom, two children’s room and one each for the grandmother, and the guests. Designed following the needs and requirements of its occupants, each bedroom showcases their unique individuality in its interior and furniture designs. Every bedroom has a fine and spacious wardrobe area and attached bathroom. The attached bathrooms are designed considering not just the functionality but also the quality ambience that it creates. Incorporating all high-end technologies and a seating space in the shower area, the aesthetics are elevated again with a touch of green by the usage of indoor plants.

The challenges

“The most challenging part of the project was the design and execution of the cantilevered roof spanning 2.5m involving a lot of structural and technical detailing which ultimately helped to develop an interesting frontage for the project. Developing the flat elevation of the residence to suit the tropical climate by carefully avoiding conventional materials like metal sheet roofs yet integrating modern methods to manage the heat was another challenge,” says Surya.

The highlights

A standout feature of the project is the way it embraces natural light to such an extent that the time of day can be inferred from the light and shadow movements. The light well provided near the entry foyer blesses the area with dappled shadows and interesting patterns. Use of artificial lighting is kept to a bare minimum such that even the bathrooms are adequately lit in natural light. Retaining the existing vegetation at the site to the maximum possible extent, though may be challenging during the design phase, will yield a beautiful and beneficial outcome.

A favourite area in the project is the water body near the foyer provided with grill-less windows enhancing the connection with the beautiful landscape. This brings about freshness and an element of surprise, creating a welcoming foyer in this residence. The addition of the fountain creates ebbing sounds that lends a therapeutic effect to the overall robust nature of the house. Fresh flowers and a screen of creepers and foliage add to the serenity that emanates throughout the house. “The winds cooled by the water body also helps to maintain a comfortable microclimate within the residence,” explains Surya. “This healing space opens out into the landscape towards the east, blending harmoniously and contextually. The space is blessed with early morning golden rays, thus combining elements of sun, openness, water, and nature, in this tropical home,” she adds. The space stands out by the careful selection of materials, wherein the darker colour palette beautifully complements the water and imparts an earthy feel to the space.

Fact file

Project: House of Dappled Shadows: Nestled in the Mango trees
Clients: Shani and Subramanian
Location: Kodungallur, Thrissur
Area: 4809.96 sq ft
Principal architect: Surya Prasanth
Design team: Surya Prasanth, Dhanya KR, Surbhi Sivadas, Deepak KV and Shameer TS