Studio Nirvana designs Zenhouse in India to invite calm and stillness
Indian practice Studio Nirvana referenced the principles of Zen Buddhism to create the minimalist and monochromatic spaces of this holiday home in Kerala, India.
Aptly named Zenhouse, the two-storey, 1,393-square-metre home is located outside the city of Palakkad on a site filled with lush greenery and mature mango and jackfruit trees.
Studio Nirvana organised the sprawling home around these existing trees, using them to shade a series of external patios overlooked by full-height glazing in the living areas.
In between these rooms, the studio eschewed corridors in favour of transitional areas described as "nothing spaces", which studio founder Avinash Joshy said create a sense of calm.
"The design is inspired by Japanese Zen philosophies of simplicity, naturalness, emptiness, balance, and harmony," Joshy told Dezeen.
"At the core, we wanted to create an environment that allows one's mind to settle into peace and quiet," he continued. "Many of the empty zones from the transitional spaces were kept unassigned, leading the design to be intentionally sparse – having many spaces with no functions."
"These spaces invited a sense of calm and stillness while encouraging spaciousness and ease of movement."
A paved, sheltered car parking area sits alongside a shallow circular pool at the entrance of Zenhouse, which leads into a series of living, dining and kitchen spaces separated by tree-filled courtyards.
Two bedrooms sit to the north of the ground floor, while three more on the first floor surround a home theatre, office, bar and a swimming pool illuminated by a wall of sloping windows.
On the home's top level, an expansive roof terrace surrounds a small meditation room, which is wrapped by exposed concrete walls and features a roof split by a narrow skylight.
The material palette of Zenhouse is almost entirely monochrome. While the majority of surfaces are coated in rough grey plaster, certain areas have been left as exposed concrete, such as the upper storey and walls that wrap the site's perimeter.
"The material palette was shaped by a need for absolute calm, something that wouldn’t overpower the architecture," project architect Liz Tomy told Dezeen.
"We wanted the volume and spatial architecture to speak for itself, so the choices remained minimal, with very few colour choices and material finishes," she added.
At the eastern end of the site, an independent block houses staff bedrooms and a service kitchen below a gym, sauna and jacuzzi across the upper levels.
Other homes in India recently featured on Dezeen include House by the Grove by Taliesyn, a home overlooking trees and boulders on the outskirts of Bengaluru, and a multi-generational weekend home by 23 Degrees Design Shift in Hyderabad. which is surrounded by a moat.
The photography is by Ishita Sitwala.
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