In Coimbatore, India, This Home Reimagines Tamil Architecture—One Terraced Roof At a Time

In Coimbatore's Selvapuram neighborhood, where family homes overlook open fields dotted with tall trees, a 1,550-square-foot home taps into the simplicity of Tamil architecture past. Designed by sustainability-forward practice Bhutha Earthen Architecture for IT professional Vijayanadh and his wife Mahalakshmi, this house reimagines traditional building practices through a contemporary lens, prioritizing sustainability without sacrificing comfort.

Centered around a green patinaed northern Indian sofa beneath bay windows, which amplify the room's verdant undertones. Nine Southern Indian deity panels create a striking backdrop, while a circular Balinese tepoy and Indonesian volcanic rock pot punctuate the seating area. An eastern Indian jute-and-cotton rug grounds the space.

“We did not just envision this for ourselves, but for the generations to come,” the couple explained. For Mahalakshmi, who grew up in a multi-generational home, the project was deeply personal—a chance to recreate a timeless space enveloped by nature, celebrating the heritage she comes from while embracing a reinstated sense of individuality. “Every aspect of the design reflects a deep appreciation for traditional building techniques,” assert principal architects Vinoth Kumar and Srinath Gowtham. The residence’s material vocabulary speaks this commitment: Madras terrace roofing, lime mortar, and lime plastering form the foundation of an earthen architecture philosophy that permeates every decision.

This multifunctional bay window doubles as a lounging nook, designed with an extended sill finished in traditional green Indian Patent Stone. Flanking shelves and book racks frame the window on both sides, transforming the alcove into a curated display.

The home opens with a traditional entrance porch featuring a thinnai with exposed brick pillars—an immediate gesture toward communal and rural living. Inside, the ground floor unfolds with intuitive flow. The living room, visually connected to both the kitchen and the stairway, is anchored by a bay window that frames the landscape beyond. “The alcove has quietly become a family favorite,” the architects share, since its ever-present backdrop of nature and rolling hills shifts as the day unfolds.

A view of the floating stairs.

Exposed brick wraps around the living spaces, accented by stone lintels, wooden details, and metal brackets, all crowned by pitched terracotta roofs. These foundational materials extend into the interiors, where terracotta tiles carpet the floors alongside Kota stone, creating subtle textural variation underfoot. The color story reads equally considered: muddy brown, chuna white, lime green, woody brown, and smoke grey create a scheme that feels both restrained and rich, grounding the home in its landscape while maintaining visual warmth.

The kitchen embraces minimal enclosures and an open layout. Walls finished in smooth green lime plaster were hand-mixed and applied using traditional techniques.

A compact antique wooden cabinet provides functional shelving in the utility area.

Upstairs, the children’s bedroom and a multipurpose room are designed to adapt across activities—music practice, focused work, and down time included. Tall windows frame views of the open terrace, which transforms in function throughout the day—from morning yoga platform to evening dining room—always offering a connection to sky and sunset. Here, the architecture performs its essential function: creating flexible space that accommodates the rhythms of daily life.

Lower-profile cots anchor this room with grounded proportions that honor the users' preferences. A brass-and-fabric bedside lamp rests atop an antique décor pot, while a patina-finished wooden mirror frames the space.

Lower-profile cots anchor this room with grounded proportions that honor the users' preferences.

Every detail speaks to a deep reverence for materiality and craftsmanship. Even the mild steel rainwater gutters, shaped as rectangular channels directing water toward harvesting pits, balance utility with architectural expression. Handcrafted wooden doors bear ripple patterns, their handles fashioned from wood and stone. Designed with an eye for tradition and attention to sustainability, the home stands as a testament that restraint, rootedness, and respect for land can create spaces of profound comfort for generations to come.

Exposed brick walls meet raw stone lintels, wooden accents, and metal brackets beneath a pitched terracotta roof, while natural boulders and protective stone plinths anchor the structure against moisture and termites. The entrance porch reinterprets the traditional Tamil thinnai—a welcoming veranda stretched across the façade beneath a Mangalore tile roof, supported by brick pillars and boulder bases.

This Coimbatore home was originally published in AD India.