“Aurora” is a small two-bedroom weekend home nestled within a coffee estate in Ambalavayal, Wayanad. Designed for Brijesh and Ashwathi, who longed to reconnect with nature and the nostalgia of traditional Tharavad living, the house draws inspiration from courtyard homes, long verandahs, built-in seating, and pooja spaces centred around everyday life.

Set on a sloping terrain, the design transforms the challenges of the site into opportunities for creating intimate, soulful spaces that connect deeply with both the landscape and its inhabitants. Granite walls and Mangalore-pattern roofs blend seamlessly into the coffee plantation, while internal courtyards bring tropical greenery into the heart of the home without compromising privacy or security.

A long verandah, repurposed wooden pillars, heritage doors, rustic walls, and Athangudi tiles evoke the warmth of an old bungalow, while built-in granite seating and carefully scaled courtyards create spaces for pause, reflection, and quiet living. The central pooja room radiates through the house, connecting living spaces, water bodies, and the pool courtyard that opens into the plantation beyond.

Layered across varying levels of the site, the home gently transitions between living, dining, kitchen, and verandah spaces, always maintaining a close relationship with nature. “Aurora” is ultimately conceived as a calm and meditative retreat - an architecture that quietly nurtures emotion, memory, and inner peace.