A House of Small Talks

Thiagarajar College

Project idea

On account of rapid urbanization and gentrification of modern Indian cities, construction and design typologies of houses have become more and more formulaic based on the locally prevailing trends and thus losing their connection with the Neighbour and the Nature.

A house of small talks located in a crowded residential neighborhood of Coimbatore creates a dialogue between the house & its inhabitants, the house & its immediate context in terms of what is built and what is un-built.

The house is set back from the street providing breathing landscape in a congested street making the design perceivable at a glance. Each function of the house were identified as individual volumes and then introduced to a game of twisting, stacking and interlocking creating curious spaces and angles merging to a point where the inside meets the outside. The spaces formed due to uneven angles lets the inhabitants discover the use of same space differently every time making strong complex equations between all the components encapsulating the art of living.

The twisting of the voluminous living room block creates a courtyard around which the rest of the block are pivoted, though eccentric the courtyard visually binds all the spaces together and hence rightly becomes the house of the deity.( Pooja room).

A 16ft high charred wood free standing wall forms a backdrop around which the living room and stairs are phrased spilling conterminous volumes into each other. Skylights over spaces provide a ever changing movement of light through the day rendering different moods and experiences.

Natural wood, charred wood, exposed concrete ceiling with dark rustic tones are balanced by plain white walls and green spurs of plants.

An amalgamation of forms, volumes, light, landscape and in-surging territories creates an ambience to discover and experience as we go past time from one day to the next.

Project description

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Technical information

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Co-authors

Shanil Riyaz, Partner