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Architects: Architecture RIFF
- Area: 1000 ft²
- Year: 2024
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Photographs:Studio f/8
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Manufacturers: Asian Paints, Fenesta, Hafele, Hybec, Jaquar, Kaff
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Lead Architects: Sindhuja Balasubramanian, Karthik Karikalvalavan
Text description provided by the architects. The country blue is a retrofit extension to a 30-year-old building in Maruthur South, a remote village in the district of Nagapattinam. The extension adds a new kitchen while converting the existing kitchen to dining on the ground floor and adding a bedroom with an attached bathroom on the first floor. Apart from these spatial additions, existing compound wall replacement and terracing came along.
After transiting around the region, shades of blue were the cue for us to start with the materiality of the house. This pinch of blue was seen in a few elements that the house had already, like an old door, a broken wooden chair that was unusually painted blue, etc.,
The main intent is to blur the difference between the existing old house and the retrofit. Retaining the existing staircase while protecting it from the weather with a canopy made a major architectural impact on the built form. The metal lattice covering the staircase creates oneness between the existing and the new. To tackle the challenge of matching the finish level of existing flooring and the newly added kitchen, an indoor garden court was introduced which also brings ample sunlight and acts as a buffer between the structures. The introduction of the court breaks the linearity of the house and floods in natural light and enhances ventilation.
The material palette is kept subtle, simple, and frugal to retain the country vibe of the house. This includes leather-finished Kota stone, blue-pigmented wall putty, terracotta, ocean-white granite, jute, and basic paint finishes.
Multiple terraces on the first floor open the spaces to the existing and borrowed landscapes all around the house. The tall white textured wall facing the east becomes a canvas for the coconut trees to cast their shadow. The inbuilt bed on the first floor is a result of the existing inverted beams on the terrace. The bedroom opens towards the North and south with deep balconies that cut off the direct sun and glare. This keeps the bedroom cozy and softly lit throughout the day. A house in the countryside reflecting the regional influences of blue as its accent color makes up "The Country Blue".
