A home that hums with life!

By Beverly Pereira

Photography: Hemant Patel; courtesy the architects

Read Time: 2 mins

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Cubism Architects and Interiors reimagine the traditional Chettiar mansion in a modern aesthetic – a positive nod to traditional building typology in a contemporary lifestyle...

Cubism Architects and Interiors designs this 10,500 sq. ft. family home in a residential gated community in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu using an open-plan layout that ensures privacy, continuity and a verdant environment, blurring the boundary between the indoors and outdoors...

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Inspired by the Chettinad region’s striking architecture, particularly the Thotti Kattu Veedu, or courtyard house, Ar. Prasanna Parvatikar adopts a vernacular approach anointing the home with a double-height sunlit central courtyard with a tree on a granite water pool accentuated by natural stones. Every functional space across the ground and first floor, from the living and dining areas right up to the bedrooms and prayer room, take shape around this focal point.

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Several more sunlit courts with internal gardens dot the house, encouraging a connection to greenery at all times and promoting added ventilation for temperature regulation in hot, muggy weather. In fact, every space overlooks at least one of the interlinked green spaces at both levels of this cuboid-shaped house.

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The formal living space, for example, extends into an internal sunlit courtyard and garden with outer seating on a Shira grey granite stone. The lounge space opens out into a terrace garden shielded by a pergola roof that filters in sunlight and contributes to a distinct aesthetic with chiaroscuro elements.

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The dining room opens into yet another relaxing court lush with greenery, where a waterfall on black antique granite provides the perfect backdrop for a double-height sunlit wooden deck. Natural light permeates every nook and corner of the house; to the extent that even the restrooms remain connected to either a court or garden.

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The material palette of wood - wood-clad flooring and ceilings, and waste wood pieces as a statement light fixture that adds a rustic touch — and beige marble, rough-textured stones and granites yet again reference the traditional South Indian home, albeit in a contemporary application. Heat-resistant high-tech glass partitions segregate each space, while promoting a sense of continuity across the home; and artificial lighting in the form of cove lights, spot lights, chandeliers and wall-mounted lights turn the home into a warm and welcoming space by night.

Fact File

Design firm: Cubism Architects & Interiors

Design Lead: Ar. Prasanna Parvatikar

Design Team: Ar.Roopashree Parvatikar, Er.Prakash Parvatikar

Location: Tirupur, Tamil Nadu

Area: 10,500 sq.ft.