Houzz Tours
Thrissur Houzz: Parallel Bays Divide & Conquer Spaces Here
Double-height ceilings, interconnected areas and a grid layout make this home by LIJO.RENY.architects unique
Cofounders and principal architects Reny Lijo and Lijo Jos of LIJO.RENY.architects were asked to design a house for the homeowners who stay abroad. The plot is shared by the homeowner and his brother. The brief was for a relaxing and a rejuvenating space that served as a vacation home but could eventually be used as a permanent residence. The architects designed the house on an elevated plot with a grid layout to demarcate boundaries and embrace the verdant surroundings.
The flexible, modular grid layout offered numerous spatial possibilities to the architects. Verdant landscaping is juxtaposed with the rigid geometry of the house.
Find an architect on Houzz
Find an architect on Houzz
Granite tiles and cobble stones define the pathway to the house. Elements of biophilic design, such as lush landscaping and water bodies skirt the exteriors, keeping the home cool in the warm months.
Facades: Best Colours for Indian Homes’ Exterior Walls
Facades: Best Colours for Indian Homes’ Exterior Walls
The entrance to the home is via a covered sit-out area flanked by a courtyard on one side. This space further opens into a formal sit-out to the left and a study on the right.
Tiles throughout the house: NITCO and Kajaria Tiles
Tiles throughout the house: NITCO and Kajaria Tiles
Along the left side of the courtyard is the first bay: double-storeyed section of the house, which accommodates the bedrooms and a large patio overlooking a swimming pool.
The eastern part of the home forms the second bay, a single-storeyed block which contains the public and semi-private zones, such as the visitors’ lounge, and the formal living and dining areas.
This is the formal living area with a double-height ceiling. Transom windows help in natural ventilation. A water body abuts the expansive window and underpins the indoor–outdoor connection.
Next to the formal living area is the family living room with a serene and tranquil ambience. The home’s layout is designed to maximise cross-ventilation.
The dining room, like all the other living spaces, opens into a green courtyard.
Browse through more dining room design ideas in Houzz photos
Browse through more dining room design ideas in Houzz photos
The architects attempted to bring a hint of the outdoors inside with a small tree in the kitchen area. Faux ceilings with recessed lights add depth and symmetry to the galley kitchen.
Sliding doors in this ground floor bedroom allow easy access to the central court. Subdued hues and wooden herringbone flooring craft a contemporary aesthetic.
This bedroom opens towards the swimming pool. Translucent glass and curtains on the expansive windows provide the room with privacy when needed.
Clean-lined furniture in the bedrooms gives continuity to the design narrative.
“The two main bays are detached from each other to offer the bedrooms valuable privacy. A family zone on each floor gives continuity to the grid configuration,” says Lijo Jos. “The staircase is strategically positioned to enable ventilation. Along with creating an access between the main bays, this space also doubles as a lounging area for the family.”
The interiors resonate a minimalist material palette to give a sense of expanse and give a fluid connect with the landscape.
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9 Gorgeous Apartment Bedrooms That Are Fit for Bungalows
Punctuated with pops of pink in the wall accessories and furnishing, this bedroom has minimalist, no-fuss furniture. Sleek recessed lighting on the walls lend a modern touch to the interiors.
Warm and inviting wood-finish flooring along with a natural colour palette with minimalist furniture anchors the decor and connects with the lush greenery outside.
A swimming pool skirted with greenery blends with the grid layout of the house, letting the surroundings hold their own with the built form. Rectilinear cantilevered slabs on the facade shield the rooms from sunlight. The roof also features solar panels to make the most of renewable energy.
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Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.
Read more:
Pune Houzz: A Spanish Villa Nestled in the Idyllic Aamby Valley
Bangalore Houzz: Natural Materials & Eco-Design Cut Back Carbon
Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.
Who lives here: A couple and their four children
Location: Thrissur, Kerala
Year completed: 2019
Size: 812 square metres (8739 square feet); 6 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms and 1 powder room
Architecture firm: LIJO.RENY.architects
Photos by Praveen Mohandas
“The house is composed of two distinct parallel bays connected in between. Each of these bays consists of a set of defined functional areas and a linear circulation spine that dissolves into the parent room wherever possible. A mix of primary and secondary functions, with its two different room widths, creates a visible repetitive spatial pattern throughout the house,” says Reny Lijo.