In Coimbatore, India, This Home Reimagines Tamil Architecture-One Terraced Roof At a Time

"The home opens with a traditional entrance porch featuring a thinnai with exposed brick pillars-an immediate gesture toward communal and rural living. Inside, the ground floor unfolds with intuitive flow. The living room, visually connected to both the kitchen and the stairway, is anchored by a bay window that frames the landscape beyond. "The alcove has quietly become a family favorite," the architects share, since its ever-present backdrop of nature and rolling hills shifts as the day unfolds."

"Exposed brick wraps around the living spaces, accented by stone lintels, wooden details, and metal brackets, all crowned by pitched terracotta roofs. These foundational materials extend into the interiors, where terracotta tiles carpet the floors alongside Kota stone, creating subtle textural variation underfoot. The color story reads equally considered: muddy brown, chuna white, lime green, woody brown, and smoke grey create a scheme that feels both restrained and rich, grounding the home in its landscape while maintaining visual warmth."

"Upstairs, the children's bedroom and a multipurpose room are designed to adapt across activities-music practice, focused work, and down time included. Tall windows frame views of the open terrace, which transforms in function throughout the day-from morning yoga platform to evening dining room-always offering a connection to sky and sunset. Here, the architecture performs its essential function: creating flexible space that accommodates the rhythms of daily life."

The house begins with a traditional entrance porch and a thinnai supported by exposed brick pillars, evoking communal, rural living. The ground floor flows intuitively with a living room visually connected to the kitchen and stairway, anchored by a bay window that frames changing hill views and an alcove favored by the family. Exposed brick, stone lintels, timber details, metal brackets, and pitched terracotta roofs shape exterior and interior language. Terracotta tiles and Kota stone floors and a muted, earthy palette create tactile warmth. Upstairs rooms and an adaptable terrace support multiple daily functions while crafted rainwater gutters and carved wooden doors emphasize sustainability and craftsmanship.

Read at Architectural Digest