Courtyard House - 23 Degrees Design Shift

Jan 24

23 Degrees Design Shift introduces a peaceful and nature-infused, contemporary twist to vernacular Indian architecture. The original photography is from The Fishy Project.

Quoted from 23 Degrees Design Shift. Spacious, inviting, and intimate, courtyards have an integral place in the vernacular architecture across India. Beyond their climatic purposes, courtyards assume the role of a social space, a space for contemplation, and a space where something happens. Their presence in various forms, proportions, and size has been a ubiquitous feature in Indian vernacular architecture. The courtyard house—located in Mansanpally village, 40 km away from Hyderabad—is a modern twist to the local Manduva house. Designed for contemporary living, the courtyard house is a reminder of the simplicity and authenticity of vernacular architecture in creating spaces that are as functional as they are serene.

The brief provided by the client envisioned the expansion of a single-bedroom farmhouse into a place where his extended family could live in the tranquil company of nature. This called for the addition of six bedrooms along with a fully functional kitchen and dining area and expansive areas for communal living. The need for privacy and socializing further required the design to provide green areas for each room, along with seamless connectivity to communal open spaces. This requirement of the brief was resolved by reinterpreting the traditional 'Manduva house'.

Bedrooms and other private spaces are accessed through the central courtyard. Each bedroom has been designed to open onto a rear veranda, which ensures the privacy of its residents by avoiding direct visual connection to the courtyard. This layout also offers private open seating areas for each bedroom. By recessing and positioning the bedroom doors to the side, the design further maintains the courtyard's integrity and sanctity.

The interior follows the minimalist theme, expressing simplicity and functionality through its use of natural materials and an earthy color palette. Single leather-finish Kota stone renders the semi-open and closed spaces into a unified look, while civil walls, painted with a white micro-topping finish, add a sense of austerity befitting the rural house.

The courtyard house is a dialogue between tradition and modernity, where the essence of rural architecture is celebrated through contemporary design. Every element of the design, from the central courtyard to the exposed roof, reflects a commitment to creating spaces that honor its heritage without compromising the needs of today.

By tactfully combining natural materials to meet the spatial needs of a modern house, the architecture creates a home that feels both timeless and relevant, and by extension is a true embodiment of modern rural living that remains deeply connected to its roots.

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