A house arranged around an open court, in the language of the place it stands in.

Indeevaram

A house arranged around an open court, in the language of the place it stands in.

The project

A pitched, tiled roof over a courtyard plan — carved timber, turned columns and jaali screens doing the work.

Discuss a project like this

The plan

The house is arranged around an open court. Every main room looks into it, so light and moving air arrive from inside the plan as well as from the outside walls. The court is not decoration left over at the end — the rooms are placed by it.

The roof

A pitched, tiled roof carries well past the walls and lands on a run of turned columns. The verandah underneath is deep enough to sit in through the hottest part of the day, which is where a house like this is actually used.

The timber

A carved panel over the court, carved leaves at the entrance door, turned columns, and jaali screens where a solid wall would have stopped the air. All of it is worked timber, none of it is applied afterwards to a finished wall.

At night

Lit from inside, the verandah reads as the elevation and the roof keeps its line. The lighting was set to show the structure rather than wash the walls flat.

The court at the centre of the plan. Every main room opens to it.
The court at the centre of the plan. Every main room opens to it.
Looking across the court from the hall — one carved panel, and the rest left plain.
Looking across the court from the hall — one carved panel, and the rest left plain.
The verandah runs most of the way round. The roof, not the wall, does the shading.
The verandah runs most of the way round. The roof, not the wall, does the shading.
The entrance. Carved timber set between two columns, with the glass kept small.
The entrance. Carved timber set between two columns, with the glass kept small.
The dining room sits between two columns rather than behind a wall.
The dining room sits between two columns rather than behind a wall.
An arch and a cut screen where a door would normally close the passage.
An arch and a cut screen where a door would normally close the passage.
The screen in detail — cut, not cast, and left white.
The screen in detail — cut, not cast, and left white.
The working kitchen, in red lacquer against black stone.
The working kitchen, in red lacquer against black stone.
The living room, kept plain so the timber does the talking.
The living room, kept plain so the timber does the talking.
The long elevation at night. The roof line is deliberately lit.
The long elevation at night. The roof line is deliberately lit.
The entrance side after dark.
The entrance side after dark.
The verandah where it meets the garden.
The verandah where it meets the garden.

Have a site, a brief, or only an idea?

We will tell you honestly whether we are the right practice for it before anything is committed.

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