{"id":4941,"date":"2026-02-16T10:30:53","date_gmt":"2026-02-16T11:30:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/?p=4941"},"modified":"2026-02-20T08:40:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T08:40:34","slug":"thought-parallels-architecture-draws-on-vernacular-architecture-for-ananda-house-in-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.angesfinanciers.org\/index.php\/2026\/02\/16\/thought-parallels-architecture-draws-on-vernacular-architecture-for-ananda-house-in-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Thought Parallels Architecture draws on vernacular architecture for Ananda house in India"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ananda<\/div>\n

The deep eaves of a large coconut-wood roof shade the bright, airy interiors of this house<\/a> in Kerala<\/a>, India, designed by local studio Thought Parallels Architecture as a contemporary response to the region’s vernacular architecture.<\/span><\/p>\n

Named Ananda after a Sanskrit word meaning bliss or ultimate happiness, the dwelling was designed for a couple based in the USA who desired a residence close to their ancestral home.<\/p>\n

Tasked by the clients with evoking Kerala’s vernacular architecture in a contemporary way, Thought Parallels Architecture<\/a> used a palette of red brickwork, mangalore clay tiles, teak wood and carved fretwork panels, united under an oversized coconut wood roof.<\/p>\n

\"Ananda
Thought Parallels Architecture has created the Ananda house in India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“The core concept was to design the house in sync with the local architecture prevalent to the region, but with a vocabulary and syntax which speaks of our times, reinventing the old into a contemporary voice,” partners Nikhil Mohan and Shabna Nikhil told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

“An unstoppably Indian, natural, local, crafty, artsy, sustainable, cerebral, minimal, contemporary response to vernacular,” they added.<\/p>\n

A paved entrance route through a front garden leads into Ananda’s defining space \u2013 a double-height living, dining and kitchen area organised around a concrete spiral staircase that draws the gaze upwards to the exposed, diagonal roof beams above.<\/p>\n

\"Coconut
It has a large roof made of coconut wood<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Looking up from the stairway, you can see intricate diagonal-shaped coconut wood roofing. This design evokes a dynamic effect and adds a distinct aesthetic to the space. a modern response to the vernacular of the place,” Mohan and Nikhil said.<\/p>\n

“Coconut wood, while traditionally used in Kerala unceremoniously and without precision, lost its popularity in favour of teak. Here, it is utilised as a sustainable and cost-effective alternative,” they added.<\/p>\n

\"Ananda
The heart of the house is a double-height living, dining and kitchen area<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The northern wall of this double-height space is fully glazed, with sliding doors at the ground floor opening out onto a garden terrace.<\/p>\n

On the first floor level, this glazed wall frames the tree canopies from a balcony in the upper living area and an adjacent study, which also overlooks the living space through a small shuttered window.<\/p>\n

\"Spiral
It is organised around a spiral staircase<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Opposite this glazed wall, the home’s air conditioning units are concealed by carved wooden wall panels inspired by carvings in the 16th-century Padmanabhapuram Palace.<\/p>\n

Teak has been used to frame Ananda’s windows and doors, alongside lime-plastered walls and stone-tiled floors, matching the patio paving on the ground floor to create a sense of continuity between interior and exterior.<\/p>\n