There are some projects that are totally dictated by nature; homes where the surrounding landscape acts as a structural blueprint. Whispers of the Wild, located within an eco-sensitive residential community in Yercaud in Tamil Nadu and designed by Chennai-based MAWI Design, falls under this category.

Picture credit: Syam Sreesylam

“The design began with an understanding of what was already present on the site: a sloping terrain, dense vegetation, an existing mature tree and uninterrupted views of the valley. These conditions became the basis for organising the house, with the mature tree becoming a focal point for the plan. An L-shaped communal deck was organised around it, with the more private spaces placed at the two ends of the L and the living, dining and kitchen positioned between them,” says Malli Saravanan, founding partner of MAWI Design. The 2,400 sq.ft house is organised across two levels and is home to a Salem-based family of six on a 10,000 sq.ft plot.

Malli Saravanan
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Picture credit: Syam Sreesylam

Minimal intervention

It is interesting to note that the sloping terrain prompted the architects to elevate the house on stilts. This allowed the building to sit above the existing ground levels, limiting intervention to the site and allowing the existing vegetation, natural contours and movement of water to continue beneath the structure. “We also constructed a man-made stream which was introduced as part of the landscape design in response to the small streams that once ran through the site. Though these had diminished and their paths changed over time, their presence were etched in the site’s hydrological memory,” adds Saravanan.

Picture credit: Syam Sreesylam

Placed beneath the elevated house, the stream directly runs below the foyer which thoughtfully has a glass floor. It is feature that is intrinsic to the relationship between the building, the terrain and the landscape below. “It allows water to remain perceptible as part of the landscape while bringing in sensory elements into the everyday experience of the house and this includes its gurgling sound, meandering movements and reflection from the glass floor. During monsoons and heavy rainfall, runoff from the slopes is diverted along a separate path, keeping it away from the constructed stream and the building terrain,” mentions Saravanan.

Central deck

The ground floor of the house comprises the car park, housekeeping quarters and a guest bedroom with an extended deck. The first floor comprises the entrance foyer, living, dining and kitchen, along with the master bedroom and a second guest bedroom. The first-floor spaces have been organised around an L-shaped communal deck that wraps around an existing mature tree, making the deck a central element in the organisation of the house. The living, dining, and kitchen flow effortlessly into one another in an open-plan layout.

Picture credit: Syam Sreesylam

Natural light pours in through this opening, shifting throughout the day. The cast, fleeting shadows heighten the sense of a dynamic connection to the natural world. “This experience is extended further into a deep bay window in the dining room. The bedrooms are positioned along the quieter edges of the plan, oriented towards the valley and the morning light. The master bedroom extends outward as a cantilevered glass volume, offering a 180-degree view of the valley. The structure was planned to avoid columns, which would interrupt the view,” says Saravanan.

Picture credit: Syam Sreesylam

The project hence used random rubble for the walls which was abundantly available in the region and effortlessly served to bring the outdoors in. Leathered Kota stone has been used for the flooring. The leathered finish of the Kota has a tactile quality that replicates the sensation of walking on natural elements. Oxide finishes add texture and introduce a muted, earthy palette which add warmth to the ambience.

Key challenge

According to Saravanan, the key challenge while executing the project was working within the limits of an eco-sensitive, forested site with a sloping terrain while preserving all the qualities that made the site desirable in the first place. Flattening the land was not an option and establishing the house around the mature tree entailed considerable planning. A lesson in architecture being in harmony with nature, Whispers of the Wild is a project where the landscape was not treated as an external aspect but as an element integral to the way the family experienced and used the space.

Picture credit: Syam Sreesylam

The Bengaluru-based freelance writer is passionate about all things design, travel, food, art and culture.