‘Parthidam’ – The house of Praveen and his family of four is a small-city dwelling built within a quiet yet dense residential neighbourhood at Petta, Thrippunithura. The narrow north–south-oriented site is fully utilised, borrowing the mandatory setbacks into the house. Owing to its limited width and proximity to adjacent buildings, the form is conceived as a linear east–west volume that soaks in sunlight from morning to evening. To balance this openness with thermal comfort, solid compressed block masonry walls with hollow terracotta block soldier-bond cladding are used to block the sun on the west and east sides. The continuous cavities within these terracotta blocks run through the full wall height, allowing the heated air to move and dissipate effectively.
The double-height cross-section with a slope lifts the hot air into the ventilating tower, reflects diffused light into the interiors and connects all spaces on the ground and upper levels. The layout follows an open plan approach, with only the bedrooms and washrooms enclosed. Openings along the side setbacks further extend the sense of space, making the house feel expansive despite its compact footprint.
The yellow stair is the key anchor. With a short flight, it navigates to the first bedroom, springing from a small masonry winder, making this movement very short and light against the normal bulk of a 20-step stair required to navigate one floor up. A second flight of steps connects to the master bedroom.
The heart of the house is the linear open terrace, an attempt to reclaim lost ground space that runs along the length of the house. This space on the east side gets shade from the bedroom block on the west, making the evenings very pleasant. This becomes a space for Praveen’s creative writing, Anu tends her garden, and Parthan finds room to play. while Mother has a pooja space on the ground floor in the side court facing east.
The house remains dynamic through the day and across seasons. Morning light filters through dense heliconia on the east, casting dappled patterns on the recycled brick wall to the west. The subtle gaps between sunshades and side walls invite both sharp and diffused light, while the Monsoon brings rain without harsh wind, keeping it restricted to the designated side courts.. Even on overcast days, the sloping west side ceiling reflects light from the eastern window deep into the interior, keeping the house pleasantly bright and alive.