All posts by bileymenon

Hospitality & Tourism

Mountain Shadows Resort Wayanad

Mountain Shadows Lake Resort is an eco-friendly resort layout designed in a scenic setting at Wayanad. The 50-key hospitality project is developed so that every room absorbs the outstanding natural landscape around. There are single cottages, twin cottages, pool cottages and suites. Each cottage gets the breathtaking views of the Banasura Lake and surrounding hill ranges of the Western Ghats. The site planning is done with minimum disturbance to existing terrain. Buildings are given the touch of mud plaster and mountain thatch roof, evoking the vernacular and submerging in the hillside landscape. Special care is given to minimize the impact of development, so as to protect the soil and natural habitat. Roads and pathways have been optimized to reduce hard surfaces and include more greenery. (Interior Design by: Design Combine, Kochi)

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Ecology & Environment, Hospitality & Tourism

Nannilam, Kalrayan Hills

Nannilam is an upcoming Eco Farm Community Living project in Kalrayan Hills. The project consists of participatory community agriculture units in 100 acres along with a research station in 25 acres, which will startup centre and collaborative engagement to promote agriculture, horticulture, farm and dairy products. The project will also be a sustainable development centre which will showcase and promote sustainable architecture and construction methods, sustainable lifestyle products and alternative energy. The investors, partners and visitors can experience farm visits, petting zoo, dairy training, pickle & jam making, walking & trekking trails, fishing, star gazing, camping, fire-pit story-telling, yoga, meditation etc. Facilities will include an eco-shop, eco-lodges, e-cottages, eco-villas, natural pool, community kitchen etc.

Community & Residential

Prakriti Aawaas – Eco Community Kochi

Prakriti Aawaas is an Eco Community villa project at Kakkanad, Cochin. Set in prime urban location, the masterplan carefully carves out an eco-sensitive project in the valley. Keeping the green-mosaic as the primary concept, the layout is developed with clusters of villas engulfed in the greenery. Ample yards around the villas allow organic vegetable gardens to be developed in the backside. The villas are set around a large central courtyard, which contains club and swimming pool.

Villa’s habitable spaces are designed around a courtyard. Simple and effective planning ensures minimum wastage of space. All rooms are provided with ample daylight and ventilation. Several features such as exposed brick walls, stone masonry, courtyard, terrace garden, organic vegetable garden, bay windows, verandas & balconies with Karaekudy wooden pillars and timber truss roof etc provide unique experience or natural materials and local traditions.

For more details contact Prakriti Aawaas

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Culture & Heritage, Hospitality & Tourism

Heritage Methanam Resort Kochi

This traditional house on the backwaters of Kumbalanghi had undergone an intense restoration process to get itself converted into a heritage hotel with 7 Keys and 20 Cover Poolside Restaurant. The traditional charm of the building was reinvented through a surgical effort for removing a later concrete addition to this structure. Located right at the entrance to the Kumbalanghi Island, this project marks the entrance to the Model Tourism Village. The premise is expressly landscaped with indigenous plants and local grass lawns.

The project won Indian Institute of Architects State Award 2008 for Excellence in Architecture.

Jury Report Excerpts: The Heritage Methanam, is a renovation and re-adaptation of a bungalow of colonial character into a small hotel. The intervention was very carefully handled removing certain unfitting elements like concrete porch and introducing tiled roofs and courts and new staircases substantially improving the quality of spaces and befitting detailing to existing elements. The introduction of traditional wooden partitions and rustic flooring were commendable. On the whole, the building renovation and adaptive reuse showed a maturity in intervention and conservation.

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Hospitality & Tourism

River Resort Kuttampuzha

This proposed River Retreat is designed as a boutique property charmingly located by the Idamalayar River facing Malayattur Forest. The property features a fully private stay with 7 keys. The spacious rooms are attached with featured garden toilets with plunge pools and jacuzzis. There is also a common pool and party lawns for get togethers and private gatherings. Tropical character of its architecture and landscape promises memorable monsoon living.

Community & Residential, Hospitality & Tourism

Brooklyn Estates Eastern Ghats

This private guest house is designed in the picturesque Brooklyn coffee estates in Yercaud. The sloping topography and lush green estate demanded a minimalistic approach to design, where buildings are mere shelters. The challenge was to reduce the elements of design so that the building lose its character and give more importance to the surrounding landscape. Flat concrete slabs float above tiny metal columns. The inside and outside merge as large sliding windows connect them physically and visually. An attempt to design with nature to create spaces that are memorable landscapes.

Community & Residential, Hospitality & Tourism

Wild Orchid Estates – Eco Community Yercaud

The Wild Orchid Estates sits on a naturally beautiful, gently sloping terrain of Yercaud. Flanged by coffee estates and forest lands, this property is lush green and blessed with plenty of large trees and variety of plants. Wild Orchid Estates is planned in 75 acres of land. This is planned as a eco-community project with members owning estate acres along with holiday homes. The project is planned with all common facilities for passive and active recreation. Plantation crops of coffee and aromatic plants are preserved and enhanced. Landscape of the campus become the unifying and unique feature of the project, which attempts to exhibit the genius of the eastern ghats. The public areas are treated with such finesse giving an international and yet natural feel.

Luxury & Eco-friendly holiday villas of Wild Orchid were designed with minimum ecological footprint. The design incorporated a seamless blend between indoor and outdoor spaces. The buildings were designed in such a way that none of the trees were cut while setting them, the placement followed the contours. Spaces such as decks, patios, verandas and balconies connected the inside spaces with external courtyards and further with surrounding nature.

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Ecology & Environment, Parks & Public Spaces

Adyar Ecological Restoration Park Chennai

Adyar wetland reserve and the Tholkappia Poonga Ecopark is an environmentally significant project in the city of Chennai. Idea Design worked on this Biodiversity Park project as landscape architecture and urban design consultants with Mr. Joss Brooks, renowned ecological restoration specialist of Pitchandikulam Forest Consultants, Auroville. A combined fresh-water / salt-water ecosystem has been revived to make it an ecologically rich and diverse system for migratory birds and estuarine ecosystems along with coastal vegetation being the significant link to tie them together.

Environmentally sensitive approach is given for the water and waste management. The sewage and waste water which flows from the city to this creek is treated using ecological planning techniques. Each aspect of the park demonstrates a strong commitment to the environment. An ecoforum is proposed where man can interact and interpret different ecosystems of the park. The park will also become a center for education and environmental awareness. Demonstration of working models of sustainable technologies for human habitation is another important feature of the park. Idea Design worked as part of the team who prepared the Ecological Restoration Master Plan. The Project was implemented by Pitchandikulam Forest Consulatnts and Idea Design provided detailed design services working together with ecologists from PFC.

Once a garbage and debris dumpsite, the park has recently recorded more than 100 species of birds, 100 different species of fish, 56 species of butterflies and 25 species of reptiles. The white-bellied sea eagle for the first time in these parts a month ago. Flamingos and painted stork have also returned here. This richness in biodiversity is in itself an indicator of the success of our restoration efforts.  A total of one-and-a-half lakh saplings of 400 indigenous species of plants have been planted in the restored area. Being a brackish water ecosystem, seven different varieties of mangroves and associates were planted on the site, and was able to successfully restore the estuarine wetland ecosystem.

The project won Indian Institute of Architects National Award 2020 for Excellence in Architecture.

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Hospitality & Tourism

C9 Event Centre Muvattupuzha

C9 Event Centre is a project set in 2 acres of land the midlands of Kerala. The project brief was to design an Event Centre, which has the flexibility to conduct events of different capacity.

Landscape immersion was the main concept around which the design was developed. A main hall with a 1000 seats capacity was designed with a stage and green rooms. The same hall could then be subdivided into smaller halls with cleverly hidden ceiling suspended acoustic partitions, generating smaller capacity halls of 300 seats, 200 seats and 100 seats.

All these halls open into a central courtyard. A pillared veranda cum foyer space around central courtyard becomes the arrival space, connecting, porch, entry, parking, dining and washrooms. The courtyard also becomes a space for outdoor events such as birthday parties and betrothals. Exquisite tropical garden fills the entire campus with flowers and plush greenery. (Interior Design by: Outline Interiors, Kochi)

The project was shortlisted finalist for Indian Institute of Architects Kerala State Award 2021 for Excellence in Architecture.

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Community & Residential, Hospitality & Tourism

Leisure Club, Wild Orchid Yercaud

Club Orchid is part of the Wild Orchid eco-friendly community project at Yercaud. The large vertical garden and roof garden features merges the club building with the surrounding hill-side landscape. The building is designed with minimum facade and maximum inside volume, an approach opposite to most conemporary concepts. The building’s aesthetics is given least visibility, while the interior spaces seamlessly connects with the valley in front, through large glazed walls, patios and semi-covered spaces.

The club consists of yoga hall, SPA, organic restaurant, home-theater, heritage echo-music room, library, infinity pool etc. Catering to the luxury holiday property of wild orchid, the club is designed with trendy eco-features. Rustic stone walls are built with inside-lit moon-quartz stones. The flooring varies from wood, natural stones, oxide finish etc. A building which is difficult to describe and a pleasure to experience.

Hospitality & Tourism

Heritage Resort Hyderabad

A 30 acre Heritage Resort was planned with a rich tropical heritage architecture and landscape approach. The facility will have an active recreational side and a passive, quiet side catering to different seasons and client-tele. Very sensitive site planning approach deals with large tracts of open spaces of different character from dense forest patches to orchards, open gardens, tropical thematic gardens, active recreational gardens and water bodies. The cottages are stringed together by these garden spaces and character zones creating a mosaic within the campus. (Status: Unbuilt)

Hospitality & Tourism

Eco Resort Yelagiri

Eco Resort Yelagiri is designed in the beautiful hill station of Yelagiri in Tamil Nadu. The theme of Architecture is derived from the local vernacular mud and stone architecture of the tribal settlements of Yelagiri. The site is an inward looking wooded estate, with a gently sloping terrain. Thick vegetation and slopes studded with rock boulders and outcrops are features of the site that are preserved while planning this resort.

Ecology & Environment, Work Places & Institutions

Greenfield Office Eastern Ghats

This environment friendly project office of Greenfield Shelters is perched on the exotic location on the eastern ghats overlooking the enchanting valley view. Built with reused steel frames, silver oak wood, bamboo, stone, mud and thatch it is a structure built to capture the nature surrounding it.

A zero energy building which is off the grid, uses biogas based generator, wind power and solar power for all its requirements. The landscape incorporates big boulders of the site in its contours. The waterbody which penetrates the building and culminates in a vertical garden wall becomes the central feature. The Vertical garden itself is made of reused mineral water-bottles, stalked on metal frames and wrapped with geotextile. Organic vegetable garden, waterless toilets, mud-floor, bamboo floor, bamboo furniture and several other elements which exhibit strong commitment to ecological design principles.

The project was shortlisted finalist for Indian Institute of Architects National Award 2015 for Excellence in Architecture.

Jury Comments: The Architect has made the design to be eco-sensitive in every aspect of the project.

Community & Residential, Hospitality & Tourism

Wellness Centre & Gardens – Teakayen Ecofarms Kodai Hills

Ekantha wellness centre is designed as part of the Common Facilities for the upcoming Teakayen Estates eco-friendly community project in Kodaikanal. Idea Design developed the master plan for the luxury holiday project. The central part of the master plan is the Wellness Centre and Wellness Gardens. Every aspect of the design of wellness centre speaks of eco-sensitive and sustainable approach. Each of the eight wings of the lotus carries unique functional element of human wellness. Developed in the setting of one of the largest organic farms of peninsular India, organic Kitchen, yoga hall, meditation centre, naturopathic wellness, ayurvedic wellness and a wellness lecture hall etc become components of this centre. Wellness Gardens give a therapeutic and rejuvenate experience to the visitors.

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Culture & Heritage, Hospitality & Tourism

Poomully Ayurveda Mana Peringode

This heritage Ayurvedic Resort & treatment center was blessed with beautiful traditional structures of the famous Poomully Mana, built in the Kerala Heritage Timber Architecture style. An adaptive resue of the old structures into rooms for accomodation and treatments followed by a simple landscape to highlight the Architectural Beauty of the entire complex, has given rise to the most sought after Ayurvedic Resort of the state. Later more rooms and amenities were added following the traditional architectural style of the locale.

Hospitality & Tourism

Wild Trails Resort, Munnar

Wild Trails Resort is designed for nature living in the midst of wilderness – rocks, bamboo clubs, tall trees and thick spice plantations in the colonial hill station of Munnar. The natural character of the site’s topography, geology and vegetation is protected and enhanced while developing the design language for the resort. The old world colonial charm reflects through nature’s wilderness.

Community & Residential, Hospitality & Tourism

Tropical Retreat Shevaroys

This Tropical Resort is designed in the Shevaroy Hills of Eastern Ghats. The site offers rich tropical flora and climate of the hill station. Design follows a balinese theme blended with modern tropical living. Exquisite detailing and fine space making are the underlying theme of this project. Seamless connect of indoor and outdoor spaces brings in symbiotic living with nature.

Ecology & Environment, Parks & Public Spaces

Nilgiri Biosphere Conservation Park, Anaikatty

Nilgiri Biosphere Conservation Park is a Biodiversity Park project by the Coimbatore Zoological Park Society. Originally conceived as a Zoological Park at the beginning of the park in 1992, the project, over the period has transformed into a biosphere conservation project.

The park located in Anaikatty at the foothills of the Western Ghats is planned to exhibit various ecological zones of the Nilgiri Biosphere. First step of this was achieved through the identification of various biological zones such as evergreen, moist – deciduous, dry deciduous, thorn forest etc and planted in ecologically suitable location within the park. Interestingly, over the period of 15 years the ground water of this area has increased, and PH value of the soil, which was alkaline has come back close to neutral. Idea Design Team has been working on this project in association with renowned zoo and botanical garden designer, Ar. David Hancocks of Australia on conceptual stages of design and renowned zoo personality, Ms. Sally Walker of USA on technical aspects of setting up this nature park and later went on to prepare the detailed master plan document for the project which is being implemented in phases.

Ecology & Environment, Parks & Public Spaces

Thrissur Zoological Park by Jon Coe Design – Idea Design Consortium

Upcoming Thrissur Zoological Park and Conservation Centre in 50Ha. (150 Acre) of forest land in Puthur is a prestigious project by the Kerala Forest Department. The project’s design, working drawings and detailing was recognised as a model of high standards by the CZA (Central Zoo Authority).

With respect to design itself, one important aspect is the method of detailed site study and analysis through which the concept master plan was developed. Through the detailed site analysis of the heavily contoured site, microclimatic sub zones were identified. The site planning concept carefully delineates different forest types of the Nilgiri Biosphere within these identified subzones. This has further informed the masterplan by which the animal enclosures are located in forest types that are natural to their habitats.

Core-zoo design themes/techniques that are developed by Jon Coe through years of design experience informed in the design of a zoo of international standards. “Landscape Immersion” becomes the central theme of every aspect of this zoo’s design. As much as it is an aesthetic approach, it involves carefully crafted landscape engineering solutions with landforms, vegetation and sight lines. 

The Master Plan Phase started in 2012 and DPR stage started in 2014 and completed in 2018. The Forest Department is doing the development of the Zoological Park and CPWD is the principal execution agency.