Behind his parental courtyard home in Thrissur, accessed by a narrow pathway and enclosed by neighbouring houses on all four sides, a new residence turns inward by intention. From the street, there is little by way of announcement. The house is felt fully only once inside. For the client, this land was layered with memory. It was here that he and his brother spent their childhood. When he returned to build again, the brief he shared with Urbane Ivy was rooted in recollection. “He wanted to recreate the experiences and spatial memories of his childhood home,” says Nancy Mary Ann, principal architect. “Long verandas used differently for various occasions, evening prayers near the thulasithara, family interactions around the kitchen backyard, informal conversation corners, interconnected rooms, staircases, temple ponds, and small water bodies. These recollections formed the emotional foundation of the design.”
The 3,300-square-foot residence replaces an earlier house constructed without professional support, one that left the family disappointed. The architects were not asked to replicate a conventional naalukettu or a typical Kerala courtyard homes, but to reinterpret those memories within a contemporary residential framework accommodating present-day requirements.
The site shaped the architecture from the outset. Surrounded by residences on all four sides, the plot offered limited opportunity for large openings or external landscape. “Upon visiting the site, it was clear that the plan should be inward looking, providing a buffer on all the sides for privacy,” explains Nikhil AS, principal architect. “The elongated nature of the plot resulted in a linear planning approach. A long veranda was introduced to connect the spaces while facilitating cross ventilation. The blocks were zoned to enhance spatial quality and privacy, with green spaces introduced in between to create varied user experiences and spatial narratives.” Constraint here became structure.
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At the centre lies an open-to-sky courtyard that anchors zoning and movement. Connected to the common areas, it keeps greenery constantly within view. “Although this space is planned within the house as part of an inward-looking design, it functions like a versatile side yard for daily use,” says Vishnu AR, principal architect. Circulation runs alongside this central landscape, reinforcing the studio’s emphasis on connection between spaces and the overall experience of being within them.
Material choices follow the same clarity. A warm palette of terracotta, wood, stone, and shades of green and beige defines the interiors, while Athangudi and earthy-toned vitrified tiles articulate the flooring. Almost all the furniture was custom-designed to suit the earthy, minimal theme, crafted in locally sourced wood by carpenters following traditional construction methods. Doors, windows, and the kitchen were also developed specifically for the project. “All the workers involved were local artisans who followed traditional Kerala construction methods, adding authenticity and character to the home,” Mary Ann notes.
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Restraint was deliberate. “One of our main design ideologies is to leave room for clients to add personal elements over time,” says Mary Ann. “We avoid overcrowding spaces unless the design truly requires it.” The result is a home that is structured yet open-ended, allowing inhabitants to layer memory and objects gradually.
Specific moments quietly hold this balance. The foyer passage acts as a transition between formal and informal areas, with water bodies at both ends and a natural cane ceiling overhead. The puja wall was made from the client’s old wooden cot, integrating a personal object into the architecture. These gestures remain grounded in use rather than display.
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Ventilation and light were resolved through planning rather than perimeter openings. The residence was organised into various blocks connected by a linear passage and courtyards between rooms, supporting cross ventilation and daylight. Skylights were introduced in the internal green areas to enable plant growth and lighting. “Since there are multiple courtyards between the rooms, the heat never stays inside,” Vishnu explains.
A layered staircase built around a living tree introduces one of the more complex architectural moments. Its construction required coordination across concreting, brickwork, metalwork, and woodwork, along with constant site visits. Landscaped at different levels, the staircase reinforces the inward, layered quality of the house.
Externally, the residence remains composed. Closely packed between adjoining structures, the façade was not treated as a primary emphasis. Brick, stone, Mangalore roof tiles, earthy paint shades, and landscape reinforce the overall design language. As the architects describe it, the house reads as a hidden structure that gradually reveals itself as one moves inward.
For Urbane Ivy, the courtyard continues to define the project’s spirit. Planned so that every nook and corner has access to greenery, the house does not replicate the past in form. Instead, it allows memory to guide structure, shaping a home where tradition is interpreted through spatial experience rather than imitation.
Styling by Nancy Mary Ann
