From the urban frenzy of Chennai to rural tranquility, a dream house of returning to the roots and harmony with the environment realised by VY Architecture Studio in Vedanthangal, India.

The owners of the house - a family with three children - have lived in Chennai all their lives and wanted a home in the midst of nature that would give them a deep sense of peace. The house had to be the antithesis of the artificially cooled air and plastic walls of corporate life; a house rooted in the climate and place. A house to relax and unwind.

Here the vegetation is pristine and the aquatic plants maintain the Vedanthangal bird sanctuary as one of the oldest protected regions in the country. So being in a vulnerable ecosystem the house had to be a breathing building, born from the earth, slowly retreating into the ground. A living house for living things. Referring to the indigenous building practices of mud architecture and courtyard houses, the studio's design approach was rooted in history and equally modern to allow city dwellers to adapt. The shell had to allow the eye to penetrate the surfaces, bear witness to age and history on its skin and hold the client's openness in its disposition.



Amidst a cluster of family-owned houses, the rectangular site facing north belongs to a borderless neighborhood with the only real boundary being the thinnai, a raised, covered veranda intrinsic to Tamil families. This space, where the family chats with neighbors and feeds their dogs, serves as a heart of belonging.

The plan is divided into three zones. The communal spaces, thinnai, living room and courtyard, and the kitchen and more private bedrooms are arranged linearly so that each space is visually connected. At the center of the house is a courtyard. A wall curves across the courtyard volume and shelters the west from the scorching sun. To the east, the curve extends to the roof, forming an open space for basking in the morning sun. Perforations in the curve let the sun draw patterns on the earth-like oxide floor and rain down on the courtyard. River stones in the courtyard are mnemonic objects, reminiscent of the river that flows nearby.

The curve, more than a sculptural element, is a play wall to climb onto the roof and lie down, watching the clouds pass by. The curve connects the ground and the roof, creating a three-dimensional recreational area. The courtyard invites not only the family, but also birds, insects, dogs and cats, turning the house into a sanctuary for all. Here, the house celebrates the veracity of the climate: bare feet on the cool and moist ground, raindrops from the open roof, stargazing in a clear blue sky, bringing the narrative to life.

Architecture  VY Architecture Studio