Vineyard, is a completed community villa project at Kangarapady, Cochin designed for the members of the Jesus Youth community. The 40 unit project envisages a boarderless community layout, sharing unbuilt spaces, which are expressly landscaped. This unique approach has resulted in a villa layout devoid of compound walls and barriers. The community enjoys seamless interaction between inhabitants of all ages, generating a socially healthy neighbourhood in an era of compartmentalisation and globalisation. Common facilities include parks and playfields, indoor swinmming pool, health club and prayer halls.
This Villa and layout design is developed for an aspiring group of friends who wants to create tropical modern community living. The design sports elements of tropical architecture adapted to modern lifestyle. The layout is developed to absorb rich and biodiverse indigenous landscape of the midlands of western ghats. The approach concentrates on ideas for natural methods for developing biodiversity and water harvesting, ensuring rich agri-scapes and birdlife.
A heritage senior friendly vacation home villa layout is designed in Kanjiramattom. A borderless community living is envisaged, to give the atmosphere of a resort, with villas set in large gardens. Exquisite gardens, lotus ponds and soft pavings provide maximum greenery in this small urban layout. The plan of the villas include 2-bed or 4-bed options with living, dining, pooja/study and a kitchenette. The facilities include a community kitchen, common house keeping, common laundry, dining hall, yoga hall and an ayurvedic wellness centre – fully serviced villas perfect for vacations, renting as home stays or for senior citizens.
This residential project in Nedumbassery is set in a nut-meg grove. The sprawling residence sports open planning around large landscaped courtyards. Designed with climatic architectural considerations, the house receives plenty of daylight and ventilation, suitable for its warm-humid setting.
Colonial influenced exteriors features eclectic and simple interiors and landscape. Living spaces of the residence is set around a huge courtyard with large sliding openings, connecting the indoors seamlessly with the outdoors. The bedroom section opens into yet another courtyard. Decks, patios and balconies enrich the living experience of these spaces.
This design for a proposed club and luxury resort is done by the beautiful riverside in Kanhangad. The stunning waterfront character is preserved by reducing the footprint of the project and having an extensive riverside garden which is expressly landscaped with large lawns, swimming pool, pond, cabanas, gazebos, walkways and jetties. The rooms block is laid in such a way that all rooms enjoy the spectacular view of the garden and the river. The building acts as a threshold between the urban highway-side and the quiet and serene river-side.
Sembra Valley is an eco-sensitive development in the rare folds of the true nature of Kodai Hills far away from human habitation. A place is created, submerged and surrounded by nature, where an ecological garden becomes the canvas and eco-sensitive architecture plays out as eco-lodges, eco-topos and eco-forums. An organic vegetable farm becomes part of the planned facility, which promises ultimate naturopathic experience.
Saraswathy Vidyaniketan is one of the leading CBSE school of central Kerala. The current master plan and proposal for School’s Main Block, Auditorium and Sports Facilities aim at taking the school to greater heights in academics and sports. An eco-friendly approach to site planning and master plan is conceived to utilize the gently sloping terrain to the advantage of locating structures and sports fields.The blocks radiating from a central courtyard provide privacy, noise reduction and result in increased ventilation and day-light. Framed structure with exposed hollow blocks is part of the eco-sensitive approach to building design. While it is helpful in heat insulation, the load of the structure is brought down thus saving on structural cost. Plastering is completely avoided to further reduce cost. An elegant approach to landscape for the foreground and courtyards and an eco-friendly landscape approach to the rest of the campus is devised.
Atisaya retreat is a project envisaged around a century old British Bungalow in Yercaud. Compact and modern lifestyle cottages are planned around green patches of gardens. Seamless connect between interior and exterior spaces through patios, verandas and gardens make it a haven for inmates.
The theme for the resort is based on wellness and healthy living. The layout has an Ayurvedic Spa and Kitchen which serves organic food. Jogging tracks, passive and active recreation facilities, spaces for yoga, meditation etc. aims at holistic wellness.
Living earth is a nature living project in the Cardamom Hills of western ghats. An eco-sensitive approach to carve out living spaces in the canvas of tall and wild trees, spice plantations and breathtaking surroundings. Trails are made without disturbing a single tree, paved with stabilized mud-paths. Drainage swales are made of reused terracotta tiles. Cottages use dry-rubble masonry for retaining walls and foundations. Stabilized and rammed earth walls for super-structure and mountain grass for roofs. Rustic interiors, oxide floors and robust wooden furniture. Zero use of concrete is maintained throughout the project. Climate allows for a low energy footprint.
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.
A layout and villa designs was prepared for Kutralam Hill Eco-community Project in about 30 acres of land is located in a scenic area inside a mango orchard in Courtallam Hills. The fertile soil and humid climate allowed a highly ecological approach to planning and landscape. A total water harvesting plans including couple off large reservoirs were planned. A full fledged club house, landscaped gardens and other amenities and services were also incorporated. Stabilized mud roads and stone pitched swales are planned to minimize use of concrete in the layout. The villas are built with CSEB bricks and mud plastered finish. Use of traditional Tamil Nadu wooden columns and bamboo roofs completed an eco-sensitive approach in material application.
A traditional Kerala Syrian Christian mansion is recreated authentically in this heritage tharavadu design for the eminent Palokaran family. The design features rich detailing of Kerala-Colonial architecture in its planning and elements. Set in lush green tropics, thermal comfort and cross ventilation becomes integral part of the design. Colonnade verandas run through the periphery of the lower floor as a seam between the interior and exterior, while large arched openings ensure visual continuum.
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.
This is a Villa Project designed in Kalapetty in a rich colonial architectural style. The design of villas feature very compact planning, while achieving good productivity and style for eco-friendly sub-urban living. Envisaged as an eco-friendly community, this project is set to become model for fringe cities.
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.
Wetland Park a conservation and research centre for Wetland eco-system, its flora and fauna is proposed in one of the islands in the Vembanad Estuary. The park itself will be a live demonstration centre for wetland ecology, mangroves, life cycles of its avian, terrestrial and aquatic fauna.
The project consists of an interpretation loop comprising of walkways, boardwalks, hanging bridges and a parasol ride. A wetlnd interpretation centre is proposed, where initial orientation will be given to the visitors. The eco-sensitive design of the interpretation centre follows the theme of traditional boat architecture. A wetland resech station is proposed in the site, which will become an on-site research station for the department of environmental studies at the local university.
A housing project on the sloping terrains in the midlands of Kottayam. A steeply sloping site of 8 Acres with access at several levels, site planning held the key for the entire development. Promoted by eco-friendly builders, the project was carried out with lush green landscape planned for the the entire project area. The blocks are designed to bring a unique character to the entire housing complex. The slopes were negotiated by split level planning and thus maintaining the natural landscape intact as much as possible. Planned to have a water harvesting system based on a lake planned in the central green space.
This is the oldest part of the Ernakulam Town. While the British took over Cochin from the Dutch, the market was the first facility to move out from Fort Cochin to Mainland Ernakulam. Later a similar trade-community establishment similar to that in Mattancherry came about around it. This area encomapasses heritage structures and planning features of very high value including the water based market square (seen in the traditional markets along the Vembanad Lake such as Changanacherry, Athirampuzha Etc.), Jewish synagogues, Konkani Temple, Bishop Houses, Old Churches etc.
Due to the increase in intensity of activity and lack of urban renewal efforts, this area is presently under tremendous stress. The plan envisages to reinvent the soul of this place through the renewal plan, and making it the pedestrian friendly core of the inner city. Idea Design Worked on this project with other associate consultants under CHED (Centre for Heritage, Environment & Development), Corporation of Cochin. The project is presently approved by JNNURM (Jawaharlal National Urban Renewal Mission), Ministry of Urban Development, Govt. of India and will be taken into implementation soon.
