Architects: 3dor Concepts
Area: 270 m²
Year: 2022
Photography: Running Studios
Manufacturers: Hybec, Jaquar, Yale
Lead Architects: Ahmad Thaneem Abdul Majeed, Muhammed Jiyad, Muhammed Naseem
Structural Engineer: Deframez
Contractor: CV ASSOCIATES
Site Supervision: Rahul Venugopal
Detailed Drawings: Thejas V K
Landscape: Abid Noori
Carpenter: Vijeesh, Damodharan
City: Thamarassery, Kozhikode, Kerala
Country: India

ↄc House residential building designed by 3dor Concepts in Thamarassery, Kozhikode has redefined residential living by embedding the dwelling within the landscape of the Western Ghats to preserve the memory of place and personal history. Completed in 2022, the project uses mirrored C-shaped volumes, a central courtyard, and locally sourced materials to integrate the architecture with its natural and emotional context, offering a retreat-like spatial experience rooted in the land’s past agricultural use.

ↄc House sits at the foothills of the Western Ghats in North Kerala, near the hill station of Wayanad. Designed by 3dor Concepts for client Binil Thomas, the house is situated on land where Thomas spent his childhood. Now a management professional working across major Indian cities, he sought a quiet, grounded space on the same plot where his father had cultivated a wide variety of plant life. The existing vegetation and emotional significance of the land shaped the architectural intent from the outset.

The design was developed to respect the natural setting and to draw from it. The architects organized the residence around two asymmetrical C-shaped forms that mirror each other and create a spatial axis focused on a mature tree at the intersection of the site’s approach path and the building. This visual anchor informs the name of the house and structures the entire spatial logic of the plan.

A central open courtyard becomes the core of the house, surrounded on three sides by an eight-foot-wide sit-out that acts as a spatial buffer. This transitional zone connects the interior with the outdoors and reinforces the building’s engagement with its environment. Transparency is prioritized in semi-private areas, while the four bedrooms maintain limited openings to ensure privacy. Material choices include locally sourced rubble masonry, dark-toned concrete, gray floor tiles, and wood-framed glass windows. These materials were selected for their availability and ability to blend with the visual tone of the site.

The interior follows a restrained palette. Exposed cement-plastered ceilings work in harmony with the textured gray floor tiles to create a cohesive visual atmosphere. In the living room, three walls are glazed to frame views of the surrounding greenery. A cross-shaped light detail has been integrated into the window frame opposite the main entrance, adding a subtle symbolic gesture. A thin metal bench, derived from the form of the building’s elevation, serves as a functional and sculptural centerpiece.

The dining room introduces tonal contrast through a solid wood table set against muted floors and ceiling finishes. A sculptural wall-mounted rack and an engraved mural provide the only ornamental interventions. Bedrooms maintain an understated design with minimal furniture detailing, in keeping with the overall spatial clarity and material discipline of the house.

ↄc House reflects a quiet, grounded approach to residential architecture that places equal emphasis on personal memory, environmental response, and material integrity.