Kerala两兄弟的双子住宅丨印度

Kerala: These twin homes for two brothers are evocative of their close bond

Tropical Architecture Bureau designs two separate bungalows with near identical footprints—one for each brother’s family.

Brothers and textile entrepreneurs Nisar and Sakeer have always shared a close bond—so much so, that when they decided to build homes of their own in Malappuram,

Kerala

, they knew they wanted them next door to each other. They knew serendipity had come knocking when they came across a pair of adjacent land parcels that were close enough for comfort yet distant enough to afford each brother’s family a sense of individuality. To build the homes, they turned to architect Uvais Subu of Tropical Architecture Bureau, to whom they lent direction with a simple brief: two separate homes with some kind of connection. What kind, and of what nature, was left open to interpretation.

A wood-panelled bridge connects the two homes, serving as a halfway point for coffee and conversation.

Serenity Reins Supreme

Today, an air of serenity sweeps over the twin houses. Wooden textures whisper to whites, greys dwell quietly, while greenery peeps in through the windows. The exterior skin is earthy and textured, in harmony with the surroundings. A sense of abiding calm follows you everywhere: outdoors, indoors, from this home to that—and all the way back again.

“In the bedrooms, I created a recessed wall with a mirror at the end to create an illusion of depth,” says Subu. Clerestory windows and large openings were incorporated to frame the greens beyond.

“As a habitat for two separate families, it was important to imbue a spirit of tranquility into the larger structure to create a peaceful living experience,” avers Subu. Besides the “two homes, one spirit” brief, the brothers didn’t have much more to offer in the way of design cues. Their requirements, as far as the number of rooms and quality of spaces go, were the same.

The exterior wears an earthy textured skin inspired by the surroundings. Solid wood doors and windows serve as warm counterpoints to the moody grey facade.

A Tropical Take

Luckily, some trial and error led to a plan that worked: two near-identical houses with a connecting bridge. A win-win-win for the architect and both families. Having worked in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Subu’s tropical modern signature naturally parlayed into the project. And a minimalist, nature-facing design language was born.

Crowned by a dark wood ceiling and complementary chairs, the dining room is a brooding bolthole that sets the stage for warm and intimate meals.

The bridge, of course, wasn’t the only place where Subu upended the rulebook. Case in point: the steps leading up to the front door. “I noticed that the risers looked terribly plain, and that bothered me,” shares the architect. “I spent a long time walking back and forth, trying to think of a suitable solution. Then, serendipitously, I spotted a pipe and came up with the idea of adding vertical, semicircular rods to the risers. The clients loved it!”

The interior design, meanwhile, is understated—for good reason. “It was kept neutral so as not to take the focus away from the architecture,” says Subu. To this end, he maintained a muted palette of walnut veneer and beige tones for the shell, while adding vibrancy with colourful furniture and lush pocket gardens.

The living room is muted and minimalist. Pockets of planters enliven the setting.

Bridging Dreams

There’s more to the bridge than meets the eye. Besides serving a functional purpose, it is also emblematic of a line: an architectural leitmotif that manifests in other ways, namely via the cantilevered roof slabs, protruding balconies and extended plinths. “Using these to create various levels and treating their soffits with alternating finishes of wood and plaster makes for an interesting visual language,” says Subu, who treated the built form as an extension of the landscape.

By the same token, cutouts in the slab allow trees at the ground level to "grow" inside with the family, while serving several other purposes such as eliminating the need for mechanical ventilation and admitting ample natural light into the multilevel spaces. Snippets of the sky play peek-a-boo through the cutouts, while a sprawling front yard and wide-open balconies skirt the houses at various levels.

“The bridge serves as both a catwalk for the family’s fashion aspirations and a stage for the lawn beyond,” muses Subu of the home’s sartorially-savvy denizens. “In my mind, it symbolises the connection between the brothers and their lives,” he concludes.