London-based architect Simone de Gale with Indian practice Arshak Architects have just released The Manjeri Residence, their collaboration on the design of a contemporary home in India's green Kerala region. Fusing the values and characteristics of an Indian villa with the cosmopolitan feel of a contemporary London home, this project is both elegant and site-specific, modern but also rooted in the needs of its inhabitants.
The residence, a commission by a local family, is a ‘modern interpretation of a traditional Indian home', explain the architects. Located on a lush, leafy site full of tropical planting and mature trees, the home feels engulfed in nature and architectural gardens. Inside, double-height spaces and a flowing sequence of living areas on the ground level – including a verandah, a dining area, a kitchen, an office area, family living space, guest rooms, bedrooms, and formal spaces– reflect this sense of organic openness that can be found outside and translate it into domestic space
‘The design of the home ensures striking views and enjoyment of nature throughout. The addition of two terraces on the first floor allows one to bask in sunlight and fresh air at any time, while looking down onto the main front yard,' explains the design team.
A double-height ceiling and atrium at the heart of the home accomodates the central circulation space but also acts as an architectural feature, adding drama to the everyday. There, jaali screens (traditional, perforated brick wall structures) allow for the air and light to circulate and a puja space (a space for worship that is a signficant feature in Indian houses, say the architects) sits underneath a skylight.
Clean volumes and surfaces elsewhere keep things sharp and flexible, allowing the nature around this Indian villa to take centre stage. ‘This home fully integrates with its natural surroundings, creating an oasis in the middle of Manjeri,' say its creators.
INFORMATION
-
Art Deco's centenary is honoured with a grand exhibition in ParisTo mark 100 years of Art Deco, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris is holding a retrospective that includes furniture, tableware, clothing, jewellery and objets d’art (on view until 26 April 2026)
-
‘Lucybelle II’ is a small scale homage to an iconic racing Ferrari, created by Hedley StudiosHedley Studio has shaped an exacting 75% scale replica of the 1958 Ferrari Testa Rossa J ‘Lucybelle II’, complete with track-worn patina
-
Explore a refreshed Athens apartment full of quirk and midcentury characterA 1960s Athens apartment is revived by architects Aspassia Mitropapa and Christina Iliopoulou, who elegantly brought its midcentury appeal to the 21st century
-
Cascading greenery softens the brutalist façade of this Hyderabad homeThe monolithic shell of this home evokes a familiar brutalist narrative, but designer 23 Degrees Design Shift softens the aesthetic by shrouding Antriya in lush planting
-
A lush Bengaluru villa is a home that acts as a vessel for natureWith this new Bengaluru villa, Purple Ink Studio wanted gardens tucked into the fabric of the home within this urban residence in India's 'Garden City'
-
Brick by brick, a New Delhi home honours India’s craft traditionsRLDA Studio's Brick House works with the building block's expressive potential to create a dynamic residence with a façade that reveals patterns that change with the sun and shadows
-
Surrounded by mango trees and frangipani, an Ahmedabad home is a soothing sanctuaryAhmedabad home Teen Vaults, designed by Vaissnavi Shukl, is a family residence grounded in materiality and bold architectural language
-
In Mumbai, two coastal apartments offer options for brothers with different stylesRajiv Saini’s NJM & PVM apartments in Mumbai demonstrate how identical layouts can be transformed into two distinct interiors
-
A brutalist mosque explores light and spirituality in tropical KeralaThis brutalist mosque by studio Common Ground explores concrete forms and top light as a symbol of spirituality in tropical, southern India
-
For Indian landscape architect Varna Shashidhar, nature taught her ‘more than any lecture ever could’Varna Shashidhar of Bangalore studio VSLA tells us of her journey to becoming a landscape architect, guided by observation, intuition, and a profound respect for place
-
We spent the night at Indian modernists the Kanade brothers' home in NagajIndian modernists the Kanade brothers' home in Nagaj exemplifies their approach to architecture; architect and writer Nipun Prabhakar spends the night and tells the story
