Perched on the edge of a verdant mountain, ‘The Ledge’ is a residence in Peeremedu, a town in the southern Indian state of Kerala. Inspired by the topography, Designed by the much lauded practice Wallmakers, the building has been designed as a shard that seems to be protruding as an extension of the mountain site into the air.
Camouflaged within the natural landscape, the roof and the external walls are made out of treated casuarina poles which is a fast-growing tree whose wood is considered as waste and used only for scaffolding and fencing. Here the long span casuarina-ferrocement composite roof is further supported in between with the help of Casuarina trees planted at the onset of construction in the central courtyard of the house.
Finding huge quantities of small loose stones during the excavation process for the foundation led to an improvisation in the SHOBRI wall (Shuttered Debris Wall). These stones were utilised in the walls by inserting them into the debris mix in the shutters as alternating bands.
Being located in a hilly area, most of the openings have been designed in glass to retain the heat and to take in the splendid views of the valley. The grills are a collage of scrap cable trays and wasted cut pieces wood has been assembled together to form the flooring of the house.
The casuarina poles on the roof have been staggeringly placed at different levels so that they double up as an outdoor party space with tables and benches. But the crux of this home still revolves around creating a living space that gives the best of both worlds, embedded living inside a mountain and on a ledge that evokes the notion of being up in the clouds.
See the full image gallery here:
- Architects: Wallmakers
- Area: 178m²
- Year of completion: 2021
- Photographs: Syam Sreesylam
- Architects: Wallmakers, Vinu Daniel, Petchimuthu K., Ayush Nair, Yash Sukhwani, Jaison Joy, Pinak Bhapkar, Pratika Bandiwadekar, Niha Ann, Akshay Sarath
- Contractor: Johnson N. and Team
- Fabricators: Kunjumon James and Team
- MEP: Dhanaraj K.N. and Team
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