This resort is planned in one of the virgin valleys of Kodaikanal in the Palani Hills on the Western Ghats. All one could see from the location is stunning views of mountains and valleys wrapped with stone boulders and green meadows. Taking cues from the location’s natural beauty, an architectural language is derived, where the resort itself looks as a blend of granite stones and green meadows.
An eco-friendly approach involving organic farming, use of alternative energy, water harvesting and biological treatment and reuse of all wastes is adopted. The site planning is developed with minimal disturbance to the natural terrain of the site. A detailed site analysis preceded the planning exercises enabling conservation of soil, vegetation and storm water channels of the site. Innovative modern techniques are developed for creating living roofs. Selection of the indigenous palette of meadows makes it easy to maintain.
This resort at Munnar on the old Munnar Road is a luxury holiday destination. Located in a steeply sloping terrain overlooking a beautiful valley and blue mountains in the horizon, the rooms have splendid view and utmost privacy. Expressly landscaped premises will feature indigenous landscape’s true spirit. Flowing streams, waterbodies and large, perching rock boulders immerse the visitor in the landscape.
Tucked away in the natural slopes of the Eastern Ghats in Yercaud, this resort planning takes an eco-sensitive approach of minimum disturbance to topography, soil, vegetation and natural drainage. The structures and cottages are planned in such a way as to preserve the outstanding beauty of nature.
An eco friendly resort conceived in the western ghats with the naturally beautiful site full of tall trees and large rocks creating a forest atmosphere. The site has a long water frontage of about 400m of the Kallar River, which continuously makes the humming sound of flowing water where the river bed is full of rocks. The entire theme is worked out for an eco friendly site planning and development, which will make least disturbance to the land, trees, rocks, streams and so on. This land of 12 acres have many caves within it which almost connects from one end to the other end of the site. The architecture is to follow the traditional style of the tribal huts with a bamboo theme, with tree cottages becoming a specialty.
This project is located in a remote and serene location at Sembarankulam on the Western Ghats. The first phase consisted of developing an organic farm in 100 acres of land. The farm is one of the largest organic farms in southern india supplying organic vegetables to select shops and bulk-buyers in Chennai and Bangalore. Ecological site planning encompassing several large reservoirs has ensured most-effective water-harvesting & soil conservation and at the same time, adding aesthetic appeal to the organic farm.
The Farm retreat project is located in 5 acres of land right in the middle of the organic farm. The project is conceived as 100% prefabricated construction technique, using Tata Bluescope’s ‘eazy-build & smart-build’ options for the shell and Gyproc for the interiors. As the project is in remote location, it was very difficult to find skilled-labour for construction. The pre-fab approach proved to be eco-friendly, cost-effective and time-saving.
A unique resort project planned in 2 Phases. 36 exclusive waterfront cottages planned for the resort with combination of one bedroom and two bedroom cottages placed around waterbody within the site. Another 40 room hotel block is planned for Phase 2. The Architecture follows the traditional theme of the place with thatch roof and interiors with all modern facilities. The theme is of the resort is “mind, body & soul” and Naturopathy becomes a specialty for the entire development and landscape in 14 Acres with Meditation and Catharisis centers in the layout. (Status: Unbuilt)
Biley Menon and a Team of Architects took up the task of surveying the heritage of Tripunithura, a prominent heritage zone in Cochin. Tripunithura was the seat of the Rulers of Cochin and has a rich Kerala and Colonial Heritage owing to large settlements including several massive palaces, temples and other landscape and ancillary structures.
Within the heritage zone, Fort Complex and Hill Palace Complex were treated as special precincts in the heritage surveys and planning. A comprehensive mapping of heritage precincts, structures and features were carried out and detailed analysis was conducted with respect to current issues. An outline development and management strategy was drawn for the heritage zone considering historic identity and modern context.
Biley Menon & Chitra Biley worked together on conducting a research of the Vembanad Lake Region, in their early days of practice, inspired by the unique cultural and natural ecological values of the Ramsar Cite. The research culminated in defining an ecological life region, identifying the values of this cultural landscape which unify the region. A combined research on cultural and natural history produced brilliant discoveries, which were appreciated by many professors, ecologists and historians.
The study involved intense stages of data collection, which were available only in bits and pieces as the history of this part of the world were hardly written. Relatively unknown paths of combining the geological history and trade history almost created a new approach to studying the history of a region. Architectural uniqueness of this cultural landscape rippled in different parts of its traditional settlements in this region, where seven rivers flowing from the western ghats join this lake system before flushing out to the Arabian Sea.
An effort was done to depict the regional architecture image of the vembanad lake region. A detailed study of the regional traditional architecture was carried out in areas of Athirampuzha, Changanacherry, Pulinkunnu, Monkombu, and Chambakkualm. This database of Land planning to architectural details were translated into a cultural centre layout. This symbiotic expression of land and water evolved a vocabulary for design. The rich cultural landscape of the region became the overriding theme for the entire design for the resort. In spite of the project not becoming a reality, the study and documentation of this cultural landscape has inspired us throughout.
This resort is located in the naturally beautiful hill station of Munnar. An eco friendly destination with facilities suiting its environment and surroundings accommodates a full-fledged tourist resort of superior class. The resort also offers investment opportunities as well. The land is to be developed. The entire area landscaped with indigenous plants and minimum disturbance to nature and existing vegetation.
Stretched over 25 acres of land, and adjoining a cardamom estate of 500 acres owned by the promoters, this resort also offers activities such as rock climbing, boating, trekking, camping, horse riding, cycling, farm visits, plantation visits etc.
Architects, Landscape Architects, Urban Designers – Cochin, Kerala, India
