A family of four possessing an expansive plot of over 17,000 square feet came to Srijit Srinivas, the chief architect and owner of his eponymous firm, to design their new residence in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. What used to be a small, flat roof house surrounded by a few, old trees, was transformed into an 8,000-square-foot exposed brick wonder with the addition of 400 new plants on the plot, whilst retaining the older ones. “The owner, a doctor by profession, came to us with a simple yet demanding brief—he wanted something special, something new. The site’s close proximity to the highway, and the family’s requirement for a peaceful, nature-filled abode formed the primary framework for its architecture and interior planning. The home’s floor plan addresses the requirement for privacy and the need for open, free-flowing interiors entwined with nature,” shares Srinivas.
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Christened The Kenz House that translates to ‘treasure’ from Arabic, it is a two-storey structure with a rectangular form with the addition of an angled triangular roof giving it a unique, futuristic design. The materiality of load bearing, exposed bricks gives it a traditional touch while also helping in keeping the home cool. “Brick is a beautiful material which has amazing properties to help bring the heat down. Exposed brick architecture possesses a distinctive aesthetic quality to it, invoking a feeling of familiarity and warmth. Rather than covering up its imperfections with primer and paint, we wanted the house to become a piece of art in brick,” he adds.
The play of light and shadow is created with lattice-like perforations at intervals, adding intricacy to the facade’s design and creating ample ventilation in the interiors. “The slanting roof further emphasises the climate-friendly architecture as it reduces heat and drains water swiftly during the heavy monsoon months,” says Srinivas. The addition of solar panels on the slope of the roof helps generate electricity while biogas produced from house waste is used for cooking in their outhouse. Other thoughtful interventions such as energy-efficient appliances, passive cooling systems like the louvres, solar water heating, and green cover in the courtyards and waterbodies insulate the house from the intense Kerala heat, and help make it a net-zero residence.
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The lavish home possesses 13 rooms including the bedrooms, a spa in addition to balconies and courtyards, all spread across the ground and first floors. The two levels are connected by a staircase designed using Italian marble steps supported by brick wall and exposed concrete wall which doubles up as the centre handrail of stairs. Grandeur as well as natural cooling is created using skylights and double height in certain parts of the house such as the dining area and some internal courtyards. The dining space on the ground floor opens out to a landscaped pool courtyard that connects it with the outdoors. “The landscape design, which forms the nucleus of the project, was carefully curated for its texture, foliage and to offer a rich uncluttered look, both inside and outside; and to complement the warmth and rusticity of the brick facade,” reveals the architect.
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As you meander through the interiors of the home, you notice the uniform materiality used throughout whether it is the common family room or private bedroom suites. Apart from brick, the rustic warmth of teakwood is seen in the custom-designed furniture, doors and window frames. Elegant Italian marble flooring that runs across this Kerala residence is covered in places with plush, hand-picked rugs. Expensive artworks grace the walls while the raw, cement-finished ceiling adds to the sensory dynamism of the space.
Completed over a span of two years, this home in Kerala is the epitome of sustainable living and simplicity intertwined with quiet luxury and verdant greenery.
