The Concept
A new-build on the outskirts of Trivandrum for a doctor and his family. The brief asked for maximum greenery, natural cross-ventilation, and a home that could host 50 guests during Onam but feel intimate on a weekday evening. We designed the whole house around a central open courtyard.
The Courtyard
The courtyard is the beating heart of the house — 18 feet square, open to the sky, with a 200-year-old jackfruit tree at its centre that predates the plot purchase. All main rooms open directly onto it through full-height sliding teak panels. When the panels are thrown open, the house and garden become one.
Living Spaces
The living room has a 14-foot ceiling with exposed Mangalore roof tiles visible through a series of clerestory openings. The terrazzo floors — a Kerala tradition — were custom-poured in a warm ivory with green marble chips that echo the garden.
Garden Integration
A landscape designer was brought in to complete the vision: a series of stepped water features following the natural slope of the land, a monsoon garden of native palms and heliconias, and a small kitchen garden with the herbs, moringa, and curry leaf plants that belong in every Kerala home.
