A bungalow in Palakkad, Kerala designed by Lijo.Reny.architects symbolises calm within chaos, as seen from the ‘skewed’ façade, contrasting with its serene interiors. Employing several passive cooling measures, it is ideally suited to the climate of the region. Architects Lijo Jos and Reny Lijo decided to create a façade which would reflect and echo the hustle bustle outside. The form of the house is also an abstraction of the low-lying mountain range which lies behind it, visible on a sunny day. The team created an exaggerated, energetic form with a simple interior, symbolising going from chaos to calm. The interior is a total contrast to the exterior and very little colour has been used.
Palakkad records the highest temperature in the summer and cases of sunstroke are reported. The solution was to install aluminium screens outside the windows with large vents near the ceiling for hot air to flush out. The aluminium shading affects the quality of the shadows inside the house. Functioning like a vertical pergola, it casts perpetually changing shadows, internalising the energy of the external form.
