Step into a home of heights that takes up so little land and so much life.
Located in a quaint neighbourhood in Kannur, Payyanur is an abode that bespeaks the famous quote less in more. How good is just enough? Sheathed in jaali works and brick cladding, wrapped in verdancy and a delight to look at. This small-big home accommodates a young family of four. The seemingly space – starved interiors are endowed with natural light, brightening and expanding the place with every flutter of rays that falls playfully on the walls. The couple of the house, both government employees were curious to know if a house can be built on a plot of 1.7 cents. “They lead a minimal lifestyle and wanted a house with only a handful of requirements, a comfortable place where they could spend quality time as a family’ says the founder and principal architect at Samashtti Design Pvt Ltd. They wanted a house with three bedrooms, but were willing to lay back on just two depending on the space available. Sculpting out a layout that was both spacious and area bound was a challenging feat to overcome.
The narrative of this home traverses through various levels in order to accommodate all spaces in dignity. The concept behind designing a house on a small plot is to make sure that every inch of the space planned is leveraged. The privilege that comes with designing on a site area below 3 cents has been effectively adopted by abutting the compound wall on one side, therefore ensuring an effective space utilisation method. The house was designed to have three levels, strategically planned to hold various functions. Owing to the prospects of the region that has a potential to grow into a commercial hub, the client wanted a house which could be converted, if needed, into a commercial facility. This explains the strategic location of the staircase placed on a periphery that can be accessed from the sit out.
Great expanses of clay jaali works wrapped around in parts, admits in light without vision, an ode to privacy. The jaali also acts as a primary source of ventilation for the house. In the living area, a dedicated shaft pours in light creating a rather pleasant looking backdrop for the seating area. The planning of the house sways away from a conventional setting by locating dining and kitchen areas on
the first floor. This may raise eyebrows but for principal architect Anoop Sukumaran, logic supersedes conventions.
The commingling of frugal materials, muted palette and minimal aesthetics brings out the life in the house. The dining area plays host to a double height ceiling welcoming the aroma of freshly cooked dishes from the open kitchen. The double height space lays in contrast with the kitchen ceiling which has been brought down to a height of 2.4 meters in order to accommodate a bedroom above. The winding staircase is interrupted by an increased width mid – landing space preceding the first floor. Neither overpowering nor out of place, the seemingly mid space serves as a seating area camouflaged for structural stability.
In a stark juxtaposition, the staircase is cladded with wooden base as opposed to white vitrified tiles used on all the remaining areas. The levels have been articulated to break the monotony of the elevation by placing one bedroom on each level, diagonally opposite to one another. The bedroom on the top most level basks in the expansiveness of the adjoining roof terrace, more like a private suite
with a private garden in the sky. All bedrooms are equipped with custom furniture, storage spaces and study area complete with attached toilets on all floors. It is interesting to note that the bedrooms occupy a uniform grid area of 3 meters by 2.8 meters as opposed to conventional standardised area normally allocated to residential bedrooms. This is made possible through effective space utilisation
and planning techniques adopted.
This is a house that is built on appropriation, functionalism and decisiveness where constrictions are embraced as opportunities, an epitome to less can definitely be more.