RESIDENCE AT THE RUNNING WALL

Contributed by Marina Correa photography by Praveen Mohandas and Lijo Jose; with thanks to both of them This intimidating air is brought about by the compositional skill of the architect, which was accomplished in a contextual language that was based in the vernacular. This is in accordance with the architect’s vision and objective… lijo.reny, located in Thiruvananthapuram, was approached by a client with an unexpected request for “a fortress-like home that cannot be climbed.” The architects needed to put some considerable thought into their designs. The architectural concept called for an imposing piece of building to be built on a 2,183.09 square meter site with a floor space of 507.93 square meters. It was to be constrained by local components in a local context. The location was in the seedy district of Kannur in Kerala. Plastered walls and exposed laterite were commonplace in older examples of keralite architecture, and together they provide an immediate connection with the environment. “we thought that usage of this stone in a new language, without losing its innate nature, would anchor the design while acknowledging the presence of change,” explain principals lijo jos and reny lijo. “we thought that usage of this stone in a new language would anchor the design while acknowledging the presence of change.” The irregular punctures in the wall contribute to the design in a manner that is sort of rustic in a sense, and they are similar to a two-toned snake that winds its way from the property through the planted courtyard. The lengthy road brings visitors to a sitting area, from where they may get a glimpse of the concealed courts and the planted spill-out areas beyond. After stepping upon a transparent glass bridge that extends over a body of water that discharges as a cascade just below the main entrance and into an inside lap pool, the fascination only grows to a higher level. The passageway leading from the front entrance branches off into the living room and the dining room, both of which open out into a large outdoor recreation area with landscaping. This three-story building is similar to a labyrinth because in addition to the bedrooms, bathrooms, living and dining areas, it has a kitchen, a rear backyard with an attached badminton court, an internal courtyard filled with banana trees, ferns, and many tropical plants, a home theater, a study, and corridors. A play of levels has been indulged in on the ceiling by the architects, who have done so with an intuitive sense of the vernacular blending into the modern. The top levels include a mix of a barrel vault and a flat slab, both of which have vents to release hot air. In addition, there are circular skylights that match the circular ceiling lights. These skylights let in a lot of natural light and ventilation. Every aspect of the design shows painstaking attention to detail, whether it be the sourcing of laterite stones that are subtly different in color from two different quarries or the great lengths that were taken to fill the vertical joints between the laterite stones with a mixture of white cement and powdered laterite so that the horizontal lines can be visibly pronounced and “impart greater fluidity to the meandering wall.” Because of the way the project was approached, it has the potential to significantly impact the manner in which modern architecture is conducted in Kerala. As a result, it is socially relevant and has the potential to have beneficial implications. The iia kc award for gold leaf for excellence in architecture was given to the running wall in 2012, and it also won the all india stone architectural awards in the landscape category from cdos (2012) Please visit inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com in order to see the photographs.

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