Text description provided by the architects. Set amidst expansive Cardamom plantations on steep terrain area in Thekkady, Kerala, a set of cabins have been designed to nestle within a sea of green. Responding to a brief for a boutique resort, the project includes five independent cabins, an outdoor pool with adjacent stepped decks and a spa block divided into three interconnected volumes all raised on stilts.

Courtesy of Kumar La Noce

Masterplan

Courtesy of Kumar La Noce

Section

The 40 sq.m cabins feature floor to ceiling wood framed openings that are composed and designed to enhance the impact of the dramatic views while ensuring privacy between the units. The cabins open out to generous decks to embrace and experience the feeling of belonging to the surrounding plantation. 

Courtesy of Kumar La Noce

The structures are envisioned as light and elegant floating volumes in order not to disturb the natural harmony. They are crafted primarily out of rich reddish hardwood sourced from sustainably managed plantations. Inspiration comes from quaint shops and structures dotting the plantation landscape surrounding the property, which feature framed glass enclosures and simple wooden furnishing.

Cabin plan

The interiors are minimal and yet sophisticated, keeping the focus on the dramatic setting. Hand crafted teak wood and rattan furniture and rice paper light fixtures complement the rich wood panelled surfaces. The ensuite bathroom is compact and raw, with locally sourced black granite counters and a shower area featuring a ‘porthole’ window framing the views beyond. The overall design has been an exercise in balancing luxury and elegance with quietness and restraint.

© Vivek Muthuramalingam

• Architects

  Kumar La Noce

• Location

  Thekkady, Kumily, Kerala, India

• Category

  Cabins & Lodges

• Lead Architects

  Bhavana Kumar, Nicola La Noce

• Area

  500.0 m2

• Project Year

  2017

• Photographs

  Vivek Muthuramalingam, Salim Pushpanath