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Zenhouse is designed as a vacation home in Palakkad, Kerala - an ode to the client’s ancestral land and his memories from childhood. The project is not just a house; it is an experience designed to function as a sanctuary. The concept is to create an idyllic, peaceful spaces that aim for a state of enlightenment through thoughtful design. This is achieved through a minimalist design philosophy that eliminates visual clutter, reduces stress, and fosters a sense of mental clarity.
We were inspired by Zen concepts and wanted to create a space that would bring clarity and peace of mind to the occupants. The design embraces ideologies of simplicity, harmony, and connection to nature, to not just interiors or the architecture, but to living itself. It also aims to focus on essentialism and purpose rather than just minimalism.
We were inspired by Zen concepts and wanted to create a space that would bring clarity and peace of mind to the occupants. The design embraces ideologies of simplicity, harmony, and connection to nature, to not just interiors or the architecture, but to living itself. It also aims to focus on essentialism and purpose rather than just minimalism.
Company Name: Studio Nirvana
Principal Designer: Avinash Joshy
Portrait:
Principal Designer: Avinash Joshy
Portrait:
Project Information:
- Project Name: Zen House
- Project Location: Palakkad, Kerala, India.
- Principal Designer: Avinash Joshy, Joshy Jose, Steffy Thomas
- Project Architects: Liz Tomy, Fathima Thahseen, Greeshma Shaji, Arti Ghatge
- Completion Year: 2025
- Built Area: 20,000 ft2
- Photo Credits: Ishita Sitwala
- Lighting Credits: Mario Tsai, Spoon Lighting
- Furniture: &tradition, Phantom Hands, andblack, 101 Copenhagen, Sār Studio, Stem Design, Poj Studio, Formave, Ferrocon Concrete Factory
- Décor: Moon Seop Seo, Stem Design
- Doors & Windows: Schüco, Frits Jurgens Pivot system
The project’s engagement with its context began with a fundamental constraint, as it was surrounded by a dense residential neighborhood with small and modest-range houses. The site was over half an acre and had several fully grown trees with thick lush branches which presented as an opportunity as we could use them as our primary visual elements and let the architecture wrap around them creating an inward-looking design. Thus, we decided to preserve the trees without cutting any branches and started zoning around them. We planned the entrance foyer and formal living around a large mango tree on one part of the site and we had the bedrooms and private spaces all zoned together with a cluster of trees on the other end of the site which also covered most of the ground as intended. But when we started connecting these zones it resulted in huge empty spaces and oversized corridors. In a design discussion, the client had lent us an art sculpture from his collection, a piece by French artist Delphine Brabant and suggested that the house could have a similar play of voids and projections.
This inspired us to carve out voids in the empty corridors that were formed, allowing trees to emerge through the voids itself. Which then formed few of the leisure spaces, especially the lower deck space that subtly spilled out in the backyard. We also carved out a void on the first floor, which had a branch of the jackfruit tree spouting into the form of the building, which we turned into a water feature next to the gathering space. The trees became active participants in the architectural narrative, and the layout organically evolved to create a series of voids and shifting geometries.
The final layout spans around 15000 sq. ft. The floor plan is an open, intuitive flow, with 5 bedrooms, living spaces, dining area with kitchen, indoor pool, and a meditation room. 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.
Natural light is treated as a design material, with the trees' canopy and leaves filter sunlight, creating a dynamic and ever-changing play of light and shadow throughout the day and become an integral part of the interior atmosphere.
To meet the project’s requirements and vision, an outhouse was designed to accommodate a gym, spa area, and a salon, which amounts to a total built-up of 20,000 sq. ft.
To meet the project’s requirements and vision, an outhouse was designed to accommodate a gym, spa area, and a salon, which amounts to a total built-up of 20,000 sq. ft.
The material choices are honest, natural, and shaped by a need for absolute calm, something that wouldn’t overpower the architecture. We wanted the volume and spatial architecture to speak for itself. We created a monochromatic palette grounded in natural materials with accents of warm wood that would complement the grey tones. The idea was to gradually create emptiness in the minds of the occupants and in turn create fresh thoughts, clarity in their minds.
Another key material feature, are the exposed concrete walls which were introduced to add a textural element to the otherwise plain grey materials. For example, at the entrance, one can see the foyer, the courtyard, the formal living and the courtyard beyond that; though these are four different spaces, it’s connected by this one single wall and at the same time horizontal texture or detailing of the exposed wall leads your eye through all the spaces, making the space feel continuous and seamless.
Another key material feature, are the exposed concrete walls which were introduced to add a textural element to the otherwise plain grey materials. For example, at the entrance, one can see the foyer, the courtyard, the formal living and the courtyard beyond that; though these are four different spaces, it’s connected by this one single wall and at the same time horizontal texture or detailing of the exposed wall leads your eye through all the spaces, making the space feel continuous and seamless.
view from the entrance foyer with exposed concrete design wall
The design process was also deeply informed by mid-century modern aesthetic, blended with Scandinavian style of design especially when it came to interiors, which reinforced the focus on simplicity, functionality, and the purity of form and materials. A key aspect of the process was also the close collaborations with the vendors, such as furniture making or lighting design or curating of objects, it became a shared exploration of materials and form, allowing us to experiment and refine details that complemented the architectural language of the project.
