Built 200 feet above the Arabian Sea Coast, at the edge of a cliff, this retreat house features an oblique roof which is supported by a skewed 45m long sheer concrete beam. The slanted roof sheltered an outdoor area, starting from the middle of the house to the fronds of the coconut plantation.
The exterior and interior finishes are raw concrete, polished cement, rough slate combined with timber and local kota stone. Inside, the interior design and decoration are done in simple and as minimal as possible in order to not disturb the main theme, the views. The client who lives in London requested a large pool, several decks and meditation areas. To accommodate the passion of the architects which drive the building’s design, to bring the sea, air and sky without barrier through the dramatic roof and walls, there are only four walls built in this 1400-sq meters house to guarantee the continuity of the views and breezes that can flood the house. To deal with the heat that can be trapped inside the glasses, the overexposure of sunrays and the hard rains during the monsoon, the architect designed a system of louvered wooden sliding and folding shutters for the doors and windows and ample overhang.
The entrance of this house holds a little surprise, as anything at some distance after your first step is concealed by the concrete wall to the right and mysterious louvered wood screen wall. So anything after your last step should be a new little discovery.
After entering the house, an open-plan double-height grand-style foyer is dividing the private and public areas. The guestrooms get a prominent position next to the pool on both sides where the unobstructed views compensate the lack of direct access to the beach. Additional guest rooms and master bedroom are located on the upper level and connect to each other via a walkway and terrace. A wide rear deck that spans above the grand foyer provides the majestic views of the 420-sq meters infinity pool and the infinite ocean.
This Modern Retreat House Design is built adjacent to the fishing village of Chowara due to the client’s empathy to the fishing community. This house itself was designed by architects Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand of Khosla Associates. Via Contemporist
Project Credits:
Architects : Khosla Associates
Project Team: Sandeep Khosla, Amaresh Anand and Praveena A.
Client: Mike Manwaring
Location: Chowara, Kerala, India
Site Area: 4,046 sq m.
Built up Area: 1,397 sq m.
Structural Engineering: Manjunath & Co.
Landscaping: Hariyalee Consultants
Interior Design: Khosla Associates
Photography: Bharath Ramamrutham (photos, courtesy Khosla Associates)
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