Many people long to escape the city and start over somewhere closer to nature. But for an Indian man known as Mr. Manimaran, it wasn't merely a matter of geography, but also a mindset. Prompted by this, he commissioned VY Architecture Studio to create a home that was one with nature, allowing him to relax and unwind.
The result is VAAZH house, a home where earthly tones and organic shapes help it blend seamlessly with its surroundings. Throughout the house, details such as river rocks keep nature at hand even when it is not entirely visible. Both the client and the designers drew from W.B. Yeats's longing to get away, captured in the phrase, “I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree, and a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made.” For Mr. Manimaran, his Innisfree is the town of Vedanthangal, India, home to a renowned bird sanctuary and its myriad of migratory species.
“A home in a vulnerable ecosystem had to be a breathing edifice, born of the earth, slowly ebbing into the soil,” write the architects. “A living home for living beings. With reference to the indigenous construction practices of mud architecture and courtyard houses, our design approach was grounded in history and equally modern for the city dwellers to adapt. The shell had to allow the gaze to penetrate the surfaces, bear witness of age and history on its skin and withhold the openness of the client in its layout.”
At the heart of VAAZH house, is the curve that crowns the central courtyard and provides the abode with a distinct, modern personality. In the morning, it allows light to gently shine through, while offering shelter from the intense afternoon sun. Further filling the home with life, the design allows rainwater to trickle down into the courtyard, and casts patterns on the floor that move throughout the day. “The curve, more than a sculptural element, is a play wall to climb up to the roof and lie back, watching clouds drift by,” add the designers.
The house was not only created with its natural surroundings in mind, but also the community. That's why the designers took into account and integrated the concept of the thinnai, a covered veranda intrinsic to Tamil households where neighbors gather for quick chats and to even feed the community animals. This flows naturally into the living room and the courtyard, which in turn lead to the kitchen and bedroom, as if sending a message that everything around us is connected.
“The courtyard invites not just the family, but also birds, insects, dogs, and cats, turning the home into a sanctuary for all,” conclude the architects. “Here, the home celebrates the climate’s veracities—bare feet on cool, damp soil, raindrops from the open roof, stargazing at a clear blue sky—breathing life into the narrative.”
VY Architecture Studio created the VAAZH house, a home where earthly tones and organic shapes help it blend seamlessly with its surroundings.
At the heart of the design, is the curve that crowns the central courtyard and provides the abode with a distinct, modern personality.
“A home in a vulnerable ecosystem had to be a breathing edifice, born of the earth, slowly ebbing into the soil,” write the architects.
“With reference to the indigenous construction practices of mud architecture and courtyard houses, our design approach was grounded in history and equally modern for the city dwellers to adapt.”
“The shell had to allow the gaze to penetrate the surfaces, bear witness of age and history on its skin and withhold the openness of the client in its layout.”
In the morning, the curved design allows light to gently shine through, while offering shield from the intense afternoon sun.
Further filling the home with life, the design allows rainwater to trickle down into the courtyard, as well as casting patterns on the floor that move throughout the day.
“The curve, more than a sculptural element, is a play wall to climb up to the roof and lie back, watching clouds drift by,” add the designers.
There's a natural flow between the communal spaces and the domestic ones, as if the house was sending a message that ultimately, everything around is connected.
