Monsoon Box by Tropical Architecture Bureau

“Modernity finds its root in the legacy of Tradition” This is the resounding theme in this residential villa, located in Perinthalmanna, Malappuram for a family of five, consisting of two teachers, their children, and the children’s grandmother. Besides the harmonious amalgamation of the rustic and the contemporary, there is also a recurring tropical style in the approach of this design. Since TAB extensively studies Tropical Architecture, in the works of Sri Lankan architect Bawa and his contemporaries, typical elements of the same are found in our work. The conventional Kerala house sees a row of rooms, occasionally broken by toilets or the kitchen or a staircase to the upper levels: all of which are wrapped around a central courtyard which usually houses a well and/or a washing area and a pedestal for the Tulsi plant – considered sacred and imperative to the family and its well-being. 

Between the habitable spaces and the courtyard, there is also a wraparound verandah with low seating for communal gatherings when the weather is not favorable. To complement this inner verandah, there is also an outer one that may skirt the front and side facades of the house, which is also used for shorter gatherings with outsiders, street vendors, hawkers, and evening chats. These informal transition spaces, along with the house itself will customarily have thatched roofs to prevent collection or seepage of rainwater indoors, and are made of Mangalore tiles fixed onto wooden rafters and purlins which act as insulation from the harsh tropical sun. The indoors are kept cool by not only treating the roof but also the floor – with red oxide which is typically used in Southern India which has extremely sweltering summer temperatures. The same standard factors and elements can be seen incorporated into this modern take on the humble Kerala-style home – from the flooring to the roof, to an interpretive addition of voids to open up the plan. At first glance, the superstructure though spread out, is relatively low in height. 

Exposed concrete has been used in the façade, and the monotony of it is punctuated by interesting elements like MS sections, projecting bricks, and Mangalore tiles. There is also the use of red oxide flooring which is not only used to treat the floor, keeping it cool, but also fixed furniture seating around the house. Large spaces connected by a common floor plate but separated by screens and furniture, as opposed to solid and opaque walls, together with the roof tiles and the grey walls, make for an opulent but cozy experience.