Perched
Area : 5000 Sq Ft
Location : Cochin, Kerala
Year : 2021
Team : Ar. Rahul Mathew
Ar. Priya Rose
Ar. Ayisha Salim
Perched at a height of around 110 ft off the ground, this 5000 sq ft home is designed as an interpretation and embodiment of a memory from nameless places stumbled upon during the clients travels across the Italian country side as a boy. Influenced by his explicit narration of the architectural details bookmarked in his memory along with the need to form strong connections with the context —the backwaters , the landscape and greenery beyond, this home is an exemplification of how Dreamscapes can be turned into a design narrative: the ‘story’ of the project. Surrounded by unending views overlooking the backwaters and the fishing village of Kumbalangi beyond, this home aspires to leave a positive memory in people’s minds —a feeling of calm comfort, endurance, being welcome and maybe an interest to explore the space
Floors are set up in Travertine marble throughout for a seamless and coherent appeal. And
in Some areas the floors and walls are treated the same to blur the changing planes making the space look larger and continuous rather than constrained by walls. Use of Colours and textures that invites the environment into the interiors which is otherwise just a view or a backdrop, making the space feel like a continuation of the landscape surrounding and beyond to such an extent that it stops existing as two, making the space feel like it’s a part of a much bigger story.
In order to make these purposes palpable, a soothing colour palette swatched from the landscape takes over the walls, ceilings and floors. This combination of tones and materials creates a natural and pleasant environment; Materiality assumes a leading role to help meet these premises
Combinations of materiality, light and colour alter as the user walks from one end to another, shaping different experiences while transitioning through the wall-layering. In Some areas the floors and walls are treated the same to blur the changing planes making the space look larger and continuous rather than constrained by walls, and in some areas the walls are cladded with metal to reflect off cues of the surrounding landscape, throwing back and changing tone as the day progresses. Throughout the design phase, the team was heavily influenced by the unending views surrounding the site, this is reflected through the complex material and colour palette manifested. Colours and textures that invites the environment into the interiors which is otherwise just a view or a backdrop, making the space feel like a continuation of the landscape surrounding and beyond to such an extent that it stops existing as two