Project Category: Residence
Client:Mr.Asker Area: 2700 Sq.Ft.
Site:Perinthalmanna, India.
Plot Area: 30 Cents.
Project Year 2021:Completed
The Monsoon Box
“Modernity finds its root in the legacy of Tradition”
This is the resounding theme in The Monsoon Box, a residential villa located in Perinthalmanna,
Malappuram for a family of five, consisting of two teachers, their children and the children’s
grandmother.
Besides the harmonious amalgamation of the rustic and the contemporary, there is also a recurring
tropical style in the approach of this design. Since TAB extensively studies Tropical Architecture, in the
works of Sri Lankan architect Bawa and his contemporaries, typical elements of the same are found in
our work.
The conventional Kerala house sees a row of rooms, occasionally broken by toilets or the kitchen or a
staircase to the upper levels: all of which are wrapped around a central courtyard which usually houses
a well and/or a washing area and a pedestal for the Tulsi plant – considered sacred and imperative to
the family and its well-being. Between the habitable spaces and the courtyard, there is also a
wraparound verandah with low seating for communal gatherings when the weather is not favourable.
To complement this inner verandah, there is also an outer one which may skirt the front and side
facades of the house, which is also used for shorter gatherings with outsiders, street vendors, hawkers,
and evening chats. These informal transition spaces, along with the house itself will customarily have
thatched roofs to prevent collection or seepage of rainwater indoors, and are made of Mangalore tiles
fixed onto wooden rafters and purlins which act as insulation from the harsh tropical sun. The indoors
are kept cool by not only treating the roof but also the floor – with red oxide which is typically used in
Southern India where extreme summers and sweltering temperatures are no strange occurrence.
The same standard factors and elements can be seen incorporated into this modern take on the
humble Kerala style home – from the flooring to the roof, to an interpretive addition of voids to open
up the plan.
As first glance, the superstructure, though spread out, is relatively low in height. Exposed concrete has
been used in the façade, and the monotony of it is punctuated by interesting elements like MS
sections, projecting bricks and Mangalore tiles. There is also the use of red oxide flooring which is not
only used to treat the floor, keeping it cool, but also fixed furniture seating around the house. Large
spaces connected by a common floorplate but separated by screens and furniture, as opposed to solid
and opaque walls, together with the roof tiles and the grey walls, makes for an opulent but cosy
experience.
Being educators but also parents, the clients understand the importance of learning in a classroom
but also learning amidst nature. This is reflected in the planning where one can notice large open
spaces which allow for freedom of movement, thought and play. Having derived its name from a
season that prevails in Kerala for many months, these voids become visual, physical, and spiritual relief
during periods of incessant rains. Several types of plants adorn these spaces and create interesting
and welcoming spots for informal assembly and individual relaxation. Revisiting the earlier example
of courtyards in the tradition Kerala houses, the floor plate of the first floor is punctured by voids such
that only passages are left to access the spaces on that floor, which act as “bridges” between various
areas. This also induces a sense of adventure in experiencing the home by just walking through it. The
staircase is also a contemporary take on the conventional folded plate by making it a folded plate but
out of metal instead of casted slab, and suspending it from the ceiling via metal threads which double
as the protective railing, creating habitable space under the staircase.
Multiple decks and windows with low height seating open up towards the surrounding gardens in
almost all parts of the house such as the living area, the dining room, the bedrooms, etc., allowing
liminality in spaces which would otherwise be mindlessly used transition spaces.
In retaining of the existing vegetation at site, along with additional planted areas in the form of
multiple voids and punctures in the floor plan on both the lower and upper levels, an inviting and
inspiration inducing space is created, further reinstated in the choice of warm tones and neutral
materials which cement the feeling of “Home”.
