vaulted brick arches drape over earthen farmhouse nestled in indian forestscape

earthscape studio engulfs wendy house in greenery

A sustainable farmhouse located in the dense forests of Kozhinjampara, India, Wendy House creates a quiet place for living while remaining conscious of its rich natural context. Earthscape Studio experiments with various natural materials found locally and in their original forms to create an environmentally-friendly and sustainable structure inside and out.

The dwelling takes shape as two sweeping twin vaulted forms, encased with a poured earth mud wall topped by a traditional mudga brick-tiled roof. With transparent inner walls, the vaults open out onto a serene, central courtyard holding a small body of water, infusing the internal spaces with abundant natural lighting and fostering a connection with nature.

exterior view of the vault with mudga roofing | all images by Syam Sreesylam

local resources shape this sustainable farmhouse

Preserving the diverse range of engulfing tree species, including coconut trees, mango trees, nutmeg and teak, Earthscape Studio’s design remains sensitive to its surroundings and preserves nature as a priority. To begin with, the architects marked a grid on site in accordance with the tree positions, from which the building form was devised. To integrate the structure onto the site without disturbing the existing natural environment, a timbrel vault structure based on Senthil Kumar Doss’ catenary based vaults was proposed. For Wendy House, the twin arching forms draw on the position of the trees to achieve a camouflage effect.

For the vault, Earthscape Studio revived the forgotten South Indian madras terrace roof technique. Shaping the roof, three layers of small bricks were produced by the local community craftsmen who were once made redundant, bringing back their work for a circular process. For the fourth layer, broken waste tiles from local factories were reused and positioned to avoid expensive waterproofing chemicals. Like the mudga roofing, the vault is supported by a framework made of reused rods, which have further been used to construct the built in furniture fixtures alongside reused local wood.

Earthscape Studio tucks Wendy house in an engulfing blanket of trees

transparent walls juxtapose delicacy with the robust brick vaults

living space with a breakfast counter and pantry

central courtyard sparks serenity

a harmony between architecture and nature as the farmhouse blends in with its surroundings

the twin vault of with heights encloses a poured earth mud wall

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project info:

name: The Wendy House

location: Kozhinjampara, India

architecture: Earthscape Studio

lead architect: Petchimuthu Kennedy 
design team: Rigesh niganth, Shivani Saran S K, Maria Suvicksha Victor, Siddharth Baji, Jeffril J Kumar, Naveen Saminathan, Aparajita Vibu, Krishnaraj, Mohamed Aashik

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom