‘Nisarga Art Hub’, the dream house of musicians Vishnu and Lakshmi in Angamaly in Kerala, is one-of-its-kind in the state. The biggest highlight of the house – designed by noted architect Vinu Daniel as a residence-cum-music space – is an amphitheatre on the tiled roof.
Before deciding to become a full-time musician, Vishnu had worked in the IT sector in the US. In 2015, he quit his job there and came to India. Vishnu’s wife Lakshmi belongs to a family of musicians and the couple lived in a rented house in Chennai till 2020.
During this period, Vishnu and Lakshmi felt a need to own a house close to nature in Kerala, and a search for the right architect soon led them to Vinu.
Amphitheatre
The exclusive amphitheatre arranged on the tiled roof is the venue of music concerts in the morning and evening. GI rafters were fixed on the roof to carry the weight of the spectators and tiles laid over them. Toughened sandwich glass was fixed as a skylight and converted as seats. The seats face a children’s pool, above which detachable planks are placed to convert it into a stage. The main attraction of the amphitheatre is the events staged on full moon nights.
Other areas
Meanwhile, the main door of the house opens to a large open hall with teakwood floor. The wood makes it very comfortable to sit on the floor to practice music.
The living room faces a paddy field on the eastern side and a breeze flows in from there. The views too are pleasant. To utilize these advantages, a mesh wall is built instead of glass on this side. Climbing plants grow on the mesh wall, bringing positivity also into the house.
The staircase is designed as a continuation of the wooden floor. The steps are made of a steel structure enclosed with teak wood. Above the stairs, a recording studio is set up.
Yet another speciality of the house is the recurrent triangular pattern. For instance, the dining table has only three sides and its height could be adjusted to enable eating by sitting on the floor. Similarly, a minimalist style with all facilities prevails in the open kitchen. There are two bedrooms on the ground floor and one on the first, all of which have tall roofs.
Walls of the house are built in such a way that they alternate between a special mud material and glass. Storage on the high side wall is yet another unique feature. True to the name of the house, a natural and creative ambiance prevails.
Project facts
Location – Angamaly
Owner – Vishnu, Lakshmi
Architect – Vinu Daniel, Wallmakers
