By the Chaliyar river in Malappuram, Kerala, India, the CAER project is a reimagined modern day fortress that melds with its tranquil tropical surroundings. Measuring 3950 square feet, this serene home has been designed by Encasa Archstudio to encompass natural beauty at every turn. A single story of interactive spaces fulfill the homeowners’ wish for family time, whilst private quarters are boldly shielded behind solid concrete and a jungle of Elephants Ear. The lush green indoor spaces offset the raw exposed concrete decor and rugged rubble walls. Wooden elements and a decorative clay tiled ceiling add rich tone and texture to the luxuriously large living space, where natural light floods through impressive gable windows.
The single story house sits low in the lush landscape, its pitched roofs nudging toward the height of nearby trees.
The tropical house showcases a beautiful wall of planting as fanfare up to the front entrance.
A covered porch gives shade to calling guests, and for the homeowners themselves to relax by the front lawn and look out upon their serene village green surroundings.
Transitioning from rustic pathway to wide concrete steps, the exterior of the home provides a first taste of what is to come once inside of the home, where rugged rubble walls and fine concrete finishes await.
Parallel pathways bed an interesting design into the grassed yard.
A combined concrete and wooden column design creates a touch of grandeur on the front porch.
A huge pivoting door is perhaps the most impressive feature of the front entrance, and instantly elevates expectations for what lies beyond it.
Concrete is replaced by wood flooring planks for just a moment in the front entryway, to warmly define the threshold of the home.
A rubble wall builds a great deal of texture into a snug lounge area, where a yellow settee sends a bolt of sunshine across the dark stonework. Potted indoor plants carry the outdoor aesthetic into the home in a small way, but there are larger and more abundant green spaces yet to come.
Indoor plant beds are set directly into the polished concrete floors of the open plan home, which creates the feeling that the house has been built around the flourishing landscape, leaving it blissfully undisturbed.
A perfectly pristine courtyard grows a manicured lawn and a small tree beneath a sun drenched skylight. Horizontal metal bars create beautiful light play across the boughs and a moody raw concrete backdrop.
As the sunbeams change direction throughout the day, so do the wonderful light effects.
A step up onto polished concrete once more takes us into the vast open concept living space.
A small coffee table provides a quick visual stop, before the eyes roll on to rest at a large formal dining area.
Blue upholstery sets the modern dining chairs apart from the rest of the neutral living room decor, and provides the first moment of a calming accent colour that weaves into the kitchen space too.
Custom made dining room pendant lights descent from the pitched ceiling above the dining space, where great gable windows bring in the sky.
The live edge dining table carries a beautiful natural aesthetic, which elegantly complements another courtyard tree, this time situated just outside of timber frame sliding doors.
A live edge dining bench breaks away from the formal dining chair style, and serves as an observation bench for the second courtyard’s pretty view.
The two courtyards greenly border the dining area on each side. A collection of assorted vases draw greenery to the table.
Clay roofing tiles were inverted and reused as decorative ceiling tiles, creating a wonderfully warm pitch to the cool concrete living space. Electrical conduits were hidden in the gap made between the roof and ceiling tiles.
A downplayed TV wall has been created off to one side, with a basic wall mounted TV set and a floating wooden media shelf unit. Modern technology does not win over Mother Nature in the starring roll of this green interior design.
Trellis runs along the north side of the living space to manipulate light intensity, and to accept a cool breeze.
Elephants Ear seeks the sun.
The large kitchen has a restrained linear installation of understated wooden cabinets and clean white countertops. A table has been arranged at the heart of the kitchen for family breakfasts. Modern blue stools provide a vibrant moment in the subdued setting. Automotive paints were used on the kitchen walls in place of tiling in order to maintain the home’s unique texture palette.
A concrete wall and a small jungle of Elephants Ear rule a line between the interactive living space and the bedroom quarters.
Wooden pocket doors slide a neat partition across the row of private bedrooms.
Minimalist decor bestows a fresh and cool feel within the sleep spaces that is perfect for the hot, tropical climate.
Tiny courtyards with indirect roof top ventilation communicate the tropical theme even within powder rooms. Geometric tiles add a stylish essence.
Because the sit-out area and the zoning of the living room and kitchen are oriented along the north-south direction, they benefit from the sun’s early rays. By night, exterior lighting sets the polished porch aglow.
Sectional drawing showing lounge and dining room courtyard.
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