Project: Coimbatore House

Location: Coimbatore

Area: 750 sq mts

Architects: SPA Design, New Delhi

Structural Consultant: Mithran Structures, Coimbatore

Civil Contractor: Sujan Consortium, Coimbatore

 

The house, conceived for an art collector, is designed as a “machine a regarder” color and light, a place for meditation. In a square plot of 30mX30m, the house is a roughly a square of 20mX20m that occupies the center. To compensate for the lack of garden depth, the plan is designed like a jigsaw puzzle piece with carved in courtyards, terrace gardens  and swimming pool. The outdoor comes inside the house, bringing light to its heart. The central self supported spiral staircase is lit for a top skylight in a transcendental light.

 

The plan is designed as a pinwheel figure. The garden level is composed of 4 rooms looking at the different orientations. The boundary wall, clad in laterite stone, collects the garden sculptures in its back drop screen, as well as an enclosed tropical garden in the center of the city. The plan also defines the garden use from entrance side, outdoor dining, evening garden, and pool side garden, each with a different character.

 

The first floor is focusing on 4 screen walls that reveal the light and time of the day. Each solar orientation is enhanced with a specific color:  Yellow for morning light on the East, Red for mid day light on the South, Orange for evening light on the West and Green for indirect light on the North. The coloured ceramic tiles on the facades reflect the sunlight on the inner face of the suspended screen wall, according to the time of the day, the 9 m wide walls get irradiated with bright color in succession as an homage to Mark Rothko and James Turell. The red pool comes deep inside the house like a tong, making swimming activity part of art of living.

 

The outer projected grey plaster gives an elephant skin protection to the white inner sanctum of the house. The project is based on 5 colors/ materials: Ochre Red of the laterite boundary screen complemented by green of the tropical garden, Grey of the outer facade, White walls and ceiling, Black mosaic floor and staircase parapet.