This Trivandrum residence has all the charm of a traditional-tropical home

Urbane Ivy reimagine an ancestral Thiruvananthapuram home in a modern way.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Vishnu AR

The site

The 12-cent plot is situated in the semi-urban area of Thiruvananthapuram. The area, although close to the city, is amidst a green hilly area on one side of the plot. The family-temple adjacent to the property is one of the main highlights. Moreover, the site being part of the elevated portion helps in the overall view and connection to the surroundings.

The brief

“The initial idea emerged from the client’s requirement that the home should be a tropical residence with traditional values,” reveal architects Anand Raveendran, Nancy Mary Ann K, Nikhil AS and Vishnu AR of Urbane Ivy. The design brief includes the strong dominance of the function of the house. The client had childhood memories of the ancestral home being used as a gathering place for the whole family during temple festivals, and he wanted to continue it. The basic functional brief specified four bedrooms including a kid’s room, two living rooms and mainly an open balcony overviewing the temple and hilly side of the plot.

The design intent

The design began with the idea of providing active social spaces, for which the house was split into two units: a formal and an informal one, connected by a courtyard. The informal unit consists of a living room which can be converted into a bedroom and a washroom. Thus, it also acts as an outhouse where the people who visit the temple during festivals can stay over. This was a tradition the clients wanted to continue. The house is designed keeping in mind the location of the temple. The balconies overlook the temple, from where the rituals and other temple activities can be viewed. The elevation of the site also provides an easy visual connection to the temple precinct.

The spatial configuration

The structure is designed in such a way that the sitout and formal living areas are detached from the rest of the house. This helps in maintaining privacy. Moreover, the sit-out/formal living space also acts as an outhouse. The courtyard between the two blocks also functions as a gathering space, while the sit-out acts as a stage. The open spaces are designed such that they require minimum maintenance. The inner home unit is designed in such a way that all the rooms and spaces are connected to each other.

The material palette

The whole concept of the house revolves around the traditional Kerala architecture. Being the major element in the elevational treatment, the roof is cladded with Mangalore tiles, while the flooring has Athanangudi tiles. All the interior works including furniture are custom-designed in teak wood. The material palette was planned with wood-coloured tiles and a tint of green from the walls and plants.

The challenges

“The major challenge in the design was ensuring the relation between the family temple and the home, where the client wanted enough privacy for the family but also wanted to be involved in all the temple-related activities,” state the architects. This is why the home faces the temple side, but the inner unit faces the interior of the property. Another major challenge was maintaining the activity spaces in the traditional home while fulfilling the requirements of the new one.

The highlights

“The highlights of the home obviously are the balcony and openings towards the temple, giving a mystical feel to the whole property,” state the founders of Urbane Ivy.

The takeaway

“As projects finish, the lesson we learn is that clients’ satisfaction is the ultimate happiness we can find in this field,” they say. “Having a different design-brief is equally interesting and challenging. We tried our best in putting together what the client required and more.”