A House in Kochi by Jayadev Architects:
Conceived as residence for a man who runs a fabrication / machine shop to house his family of four, it was imperative that his profession was reflected in the design through use of steel, also owing to the context of the immediate surroundings, which are dominated by a few small workshops.
The challenge was to balance the steel details (industrial) with subtle touches to create an atmosphere of a place to live, yet retain the original totality of design which is carried on from the outside to the inside. The house closes itself to the western entrance and south side through wooden vertical louvers which along with the 3MM aluminium shading defines the form.
The approach to the entry happens under a low height cantilevered volume, which immediately reduce the scale relative to the expanse of the outdoors, connecting man with the structure intimately. This low height continues through the patio and foyer before opening up into the formal living with a standard ceiling height. The connecting vestibule further reduces the scale in height and width before opening out into the double height family lounge with the court, deck and kitchen beyond.
This space obviously is the soul of the house where all the major activities happen and the family gets to spend time together, as such the entire character of the house was to be derived from the treatment of this space. Defining this volume is done with purposeful control of scale and natural / artificial lighting which variates from bright to diffused sunlight across the circulation path. The living areas connects into courtyards open to sky, covered to the sides with security grills & perforated mesh ensuring continuous air movement throughout the house.
Less used spaces during the day are aligned to the west and south, which further kept heat away from the main living areas.
It was important that the character of the end user had to match with interior spaces, in terms of how clean, simple and minimal they wanted their home to be, but at the same time be playful and vibrant. Details such as suspended light fixtures, table lamps etc. were custom made. The ceiling and pedestal fans were also tweaked to match the overall theme. The decor had to be in line with the overall free flowing spaces, the open courtyards and fresh atmosphere with loads of natural light and breeze inside the house.
Project: A house in Kochi
Location: Kochi, Kerala
Firm: Jayadev Architects
Founding Architect: Jayadev Kesavakutty
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayadev.architect
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