Cliff House designed by Khosla Associates
Located in Chowara, India the Cliff House is a contemporary residence designed by Khosla Associates. Overlooking the Arabian Sea coast, the modern crib rests at the edge of a cliff. Its unusual geometry is defined by an asymmetrical sloping roof which was integrated within a coconut plantation. The interior design of this Cliff House is highly modern and, according to the architects, it is structured as follows: “On entering the house, the open plan voluminous foyer not only separates the private and public spaces but also extends all the way from the front entrance to the rear deck, where you can wade straight into the 420 sqm. infinity pool. The double height foyer separates the two wings and separates public and private spaces. Guest bedrooms and shaded decks lie to either side of the outdoor pool whose prominent position and expanse compensate for the missing beach access. Additional guest rooms and master bedroom connect to each other on the upper level via a walkway and terrace”. The Cliff House covers an area of 1397 square meters, and each part of the property takes full advantage of its privileged surrounding landscape.
Cliff House
The client lives in London and commissioned the house as a holiday home to enjoy the Kerala sun, the views, and requested for a large outdoor pool, several decks and meditation areas. He was keen to use local artisans and material and his empathy towards the active fishing community in Chowara prompted his decision to buy a plot of land that had some distance from the beach.
Architects Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand of Khosla Associates designing the Cliff House keeping the180 degree panorama of the sea constantly in mind; the response to the site was a bold and emotional one as the designers imagined the dramatic wall and roof bringing the sea, air and the sky in without barriers. True to the first contextual response, only half of the 1,400 sqm of built area is actually defined by four walls. The rest is kept open and intelligently permeable to the elements.
The Cliff House is climate sensitive and allows for light, air and the breeze to flow right through. All bathrooms have tropical open-to sky courts that are integrated visually with the bedrooms and several open courts and water features punctuate and soften the scale of the foyer. The overriding canopy roof for this Cliff House is clad on the underside entirely with eco-friendly timber that offsets with warmth the large expanses of flooring, concrete and polished cement.
