a Cozy House has been Designed with a Play of Light and Shadow
A cozy house that doubles as a studio and office has been designed with a play of light and shadow – its highlighted white exterior leading into a cooler ‘shadowed’ interior that is accentuated with polished exposed concrete.
The exterior features two distinctive volumes at different heights
A cosy terrace balcony on the first floor
Built on a tight 170sqm plot for a family of four, the Maison Kochi house also functions as a studio and office in the South Indian city of Kochi. The west-facing building is delineated in two volumes, the taller south-west block shading the shorter north-east one throughout the day. Living spaces are arranged in the shorter block while staircases and toilets face south or west to buffer the heat. An open plan arrangement and perforated net windows ensure ventilation across rooms. A vent in the roof access hatch cools the house with its chimney effect.
Dining area
The master bedroom with adjoining terrace balcony
Rainwater channels are integrated in the roof design as solar panels. Collected water is used to recharge the groundwater through an injection system. Flat roofs are insulated with hollow clay blocks and sloping roofs with polyure-thane sandwich panels.
There is a bold expression of colour throughout the interior
A large number of interior furnishings were custom made
The open plan provides for spaces and blend seamlessly into each other.
A mini study area leads directly to the master bedroom
The building is conceived as a chiaroscuro – a white solid exterior leading to cool interiors finished in polished cement. An open plan arrangement on both floors makes the interior spaces blend into each other seamlessly. Wall-to-ceiling windows enhance this flow as does the continuous black oxide floor. Windows are designed in steel and doors use bison board panelling. Bathrooms are finished in colourful ferrous oxide with lamps and counters cast in place.
View from the dining area
Almost all interior objects and furnishings are custom-made down to the brass switch plates. Furnishings like cushion covers and curtains utilise the minimalist lines of Kerala saris and soften the cement walls. Traditional urban crafts like cane cycle boxes are inspiration for multi-coloured baskets that hold everything from blankets to diapers.
Project Information
Project Name: Maison Kochi
Location: Cochin, Kerala,India
Principal Use: Home Office
Architect-Of Record: Krishnan Varma
Architect Firm: Meister Varma Architects
Project Principal: Krishnan Varma, Vanessa Meister
Project Team: Sruthi Vijay, Sonia Stephen, Saumya Joseph
Design Period: 2015 — 2016
Date Of Completion: 2018
Site Area: 173sqm
Floor Area: 158sqm
Civil Engineer: Rao & Associates
M&E Engineer: Gr Tech
Lighting: Interstellar Lighting
Other Building Consultants
Structural Design: Rao & Associates
Plumbing Design: Gr Engineers
Building Suppliers: Saint Gobain, Bayferrox, Schneider, Hafele, Bison Panel
Photography: Praveen Mohandas, Govind Nair (Drone Photography)
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