Located in a residential area, Shareef’s residence is a single-family house located amidst lush green vegetation at Manjeri, Malappuram, Kerala. This south-east facing villa takes up only 20% of the site area, leaving plenty of room for the scenery and avoiding the characteristic Indian southern heat.
Project Name : Artic Villa
Architecture Firm : Dotand (Amar Architecture & Designs Pvt Ltd)
Project Type : Residential Architecture & Interiors
Project Location : Manjeri, Malappuram- Kerala
Plot Area : 76.30 Cents
Built-up Area : 9191.51 Sq. Ft
Year of Completion : 2022
Principal Architect : Ar. Shiju Pareed NR
Client : Dr. Mohammed Sheriff. P
Photography : Turtle Arts Photography
The project is the result of a careful look at the preferences of the residents, prioritizing the best sunlight, good cross ventilation and local visuals, along with valuing the elements available in the surroundings. The interior of the house has been designed to accommodate the user’s tastes.
Architectural circulation patterns
In spite of being a large and spacious home with 6 bedrooms, this villa reveals itself gradually as you move closer and explore the multiple architectural layers where simple planes are punctured with double-height windows, sit-out spaces and grand terraces and balconies.
This villa is set beautifully with a linear hierarchy of connected spaces while each room enjoys its own share of the surrounding landscape. The architectural plan is spread out across the vertical and linear axis of the site allowing shorter spans for cross ventilation and all the habitable interior spaces enjoy partial sunlight through the orientation of large windows.
An exclusive consultation space with ample parking and sit-out areas is placed away from the family villa with its own sit-out and park space. The approach to the villa follows a pathway that directs your view to the grand column-less facade corner which is the floor-to-ceiling corner window of the double-height living room.
Environmentalism
An eco-friendly building concept centered on regulating the environment and natural ventilation has been followed in this residence. Several inside courtyards and linkages to outdoor settings distinguish the residence. The strategy was devised by minimizing social areas and increasing interactive family areas within the home.
The interior courtyard doubles up as a light well and green pocket with fresh air, connecting the upper floor with the space below.
The openness of the interior floor plan, the size of the external openings and the courtyard gardens and sit-outs help reduce the ambient temperature inside and outside. Hence, none of the common spaces needed air conditioning.
Social Interactions
The interactive private zone towards the inner core of the house brings together the three bedrooms with attached washrooms on the ground floor. The central core of the house is enhanced by zoning the dining space at the center.
The family living has been placed towards the Northwestern side acts as a connecting space between the open kitchen and the dining area with generous openings and allows greater connection with the landscape and neighbouring vegetation.
Each space connects to the next flowing into one another and thus becoming one larger space. The interior courtyard keeps the core connecting the upper level; a sumptuous void for light and air.
The entry to the house is centralized, adorned with a beautiful landscape and courtyard. The large glazed panels adorning social spaces extend the inner spaces to the exterior, generating a particular sensation of expansion and communication.
Celebration of materials and spaces
As we go into the interiors, wooden texture has been used in most of the spaces, with muted earthy colours and hence we see a multitude of materials in light pastel shades of beige and brown with undertones of grey throughout with a combination of grey marble stone and black granite.
Timber has been used beautifully as a strong architectural and interior material through its application in joineries, types of furniture and wall panelling. Natural wood veneers and large green planters provide visual richness against the subtle ambiance of the interior spaces.
The use of wooden partition walls maintains both the privacy and openness of spaces. The Eastern sunlight is allowed to filter through the outdoor patio that opens up to the Central Hall, which helps to light up the family areas. The patios and courtyards along with the openings on the three sides of the central hall keep the house ventilated throughout the day. Each bedroom maintained at an independent corner of the residence provides the utmost privacy and visual aesthetics.
The courtyard behind the formal living has been designed to be a minimalist garden; creating a focal point and keeping the context of the environment more serene. The material palette of the courtyard blends well with the surroundings. The visual connections through the patios have been well integrated into the interiors with the usage of active landscape elements.
Inference
The knowledge of architecture and interior design provides us with a plethora of design options and material selections but every house needs a soul and a language of its own. When Mies Van Der Rohe said “Less is more”, he would have meant us to choose less but choose right. In the design of this residence no matter where you are, you find the same character throughout and that is what connects you back to the space that you inhabit.
