“A traditional Kerala home reconstructed for today, Chettinad columns, light from a skylight, and warmth from the earth.”
Compressed earth blocks for the primary structure; red brick for secondary walls and detailing.
Traditional clay tiles reduce concrete use and have excellent thermal performance.
Reclaimed from a demolished Chettinad house, structurally sound, heavily carved, irreplaceable in character.
Natural stone throughout - cool underfoot, durable, and requires no coating.
Illam is perhaps the most layered project Landartistry has completed, not in complexity of construction, but in depth of reference. The name means simply “home” in Malayalam, and the brief was to build one that felt like one: a house in the tradition of Kerala domestic architecture, updated for contemporary living without losing the qualities that make that tradition irreplaceable.
Kerala homes are defined by specific environmental logics: the shaded courtyard, the deep overhang, the cross-ventilation that renders mechanical cooling unnecessary in all but the hottest months. Illam deploys all of these and adds a skylight that floods the central space with controlled natural light throughout the day.
What gives the project its particular character is the sourcing of its columns. The structural columns were salvaged from a Chettinad house; older, heavier, and more precisely carved than anything available new. They carry not just a load but history. Paired with Mangalore tiled roofing and Sadarahalli stone flooring, they give Illam the feeling of a home that has aged gracefully before it was even completed.
Columns, from a Chettinad house
Skylit core, Zero artificial light in daylight hours
Cross flow, No air-conditioning required
Karnataka
Made with Minimal Materials - Exposed Brick, Concrete and no Paint
Moulded and made with second chances.
Karnataka
Brutally minimal and striking.
To savour a moment.
Karnataka
Made with Mud and Care
A breath of life, a pause, a rest, a feeling of slowing down.
Karnataka
Made with Mud and Care
A home crafted like heaven on Earth
Karnataka
Brutally minimal and striking.
A retreat home away framing the earth along the blue sky,
Karnataka
Made with Mud and Care
Flowing away, like a butterfly.
Karnataka
Brutally minimal and striking.
Built from what was left behind.
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