Studio 4A builds a serene escape amidst natural landscaping with an undeniable old-world quality.
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The clients approached Studio 4A co-founders Vijay Narayanan and Appachu Nanjappa to build an estate house that would also double as a vacation home in Coorg. Located amidst a coffee estate with the views of the distant elk hills, the structure is barely visible from the driveway, which is at an elevated plane. This single-storied gable-roofed 4,000 square-foot house sits where an old house once stood.
“One enters the planar entry pavilion with a low floating roof. A forty-feet-long Kota cladded linear wall directs movement, creates an entry court and prepares one for the dramatic reveals of views yet to be experienced,” says Vijay. “We designed a house that celebrates the natural landscape and local climate. In a tropical setting , covered semi-open spaces allow one to be with nature while being protected. The house is designed as a response to its climatic context and organised into two distinct parts,” adds Appachu.
Selecting materials and creating the inner courtyard and spaces integrated with the surrounding landscape have been key to modern design. They also focussed on upcycling pieces, such as the antique wooden column in the court that was salvaged from the old house that once stood on this site. The form and finishes of the structure are bare and simple hence in total harmony with the surroundings, celebrating the tropical weather and landscape.
The tropical architecture, with long verandahs, courtyards, high ceilings, breezy folding doors and interconnected areas around the courtyard, create various outdoor spaces between the primary volumes including an exterior infinity swimming pool, a stepped sunken seating and a deck opening from the living area.
The large windows from the bedroom open to the pool and the view beyond. High-pitched ceilings and expansive windows keep the bedrooms well-ventilated and negate the need for air-conditioning. All bathrooms have recessed ceiling lights which are concealed in the rafters of the roof. The surface finishes are dominated by cement oxide, repurposed dark wood ceilings and white-rendered walls to create contrasts between light and dark, thus creating a pared-back aesthetic.
Rafters from the old house, door frames and furniture have been upcycled and reused in the new structure. Rainwater from the gables descends to a gravel path at the ground level; the water then gets channelled away through the drains in the periphery. As a result, planter boxes border the edges instead of metal fencing.
source: http://www.architecturaldigest.in / Architectural Digest / Home> Decorting / by Rashmi Haralalka / April 21st, 2023
