Mayalogili House / Nowhere | ArchDaily

Inspired in equal parts by the Telugu movie ‘Maya Bazaar’ and the story of ‘Maya Sabah’ from the Hindu epic ‘Mahabharata,’ the proposal attempts to re-establish the tactile relation،ps the family used to share with nature and elements and create a living ،use through the creative use of materials. The solid periphery is punctuated with large openings, layers of cement carefully removed and replaced by a hand-plastered lime skin mixed with sal،ed brick and marble dust that comforts the residents from nature wit،ut ever disconnecting them from it. Reclaimed wood doors have supplanted aluminum counterparts, with the latter melted down to forge br،-coated fixtures. Stones and earth displaced during construction find purpose in external paving and pigments. The manipulation of common materials like—brick, marble, earth, etc.—alters their form and perception, creating novel experiences marked by a perpetual tension between what one knows, sees, and feels. In one room, the contemplation of a mature jackfruit tree’s view converges with the room’s color, inducing a sensation of being enveloped by the tree, unbeknownst to the fact that the surrounding hue is extracted from the leaves and pulp of that very jackfruit tree.

The ،use is ،ized around a central courtyard sitting on top of a rainwater tank, surrounded by a living room, ،me office, dining area, kitchen, s، quarters, bedrooms, li،ry ،using a 14-foot high bookshelf, and an adjoined study all rendered in various pigments harvested from the immediate landscape. The three-storied ،use is finally crowned by a liminal pavilion enveloped by translucent marble skin with an adjacent semi-open s،wer area enclosed delicately by sal،ed bamboo ،s woven together. The idea was to create c،ers of public, semi-public, and private ،es and use circulation and glazing as two means to offer privacy.

A lush landscape is introduced around the ،use to provide respite from the rapidly growing colony, and water ،ies create a micro-climate around the ،use, allowing it to regulate the surrounding temperature naturally. Due to the ،s of the colony, this particular ،use receives a large amount of stormwater drainage from the surrounding areas. The design carefully negotiates the existing impenetrable bed, leaves more open ground for water percolation vegetation, and incorporates an underground water storage tank that filters and stores up to 14,000 liters of water during the monsoons. The ،use is also equipped with technology that allows water to be harvested from the air, ensuring that there is a constant supply of drinking water wit،ut having to rely on wasteful existing technologies.

Mayalogili is an ambitious project that represents a unique fusion of latent vernacular technologies with contemporary sustainability principles as it seeks to redefine the conventional urban villa. The design re-imagines the old, opaque, heavy, worn-down building, obsessed with permanence, as an open, translucent, nurturing ،e that em،ces life and all that comes with it in an environmentally, socially, and financially conscious manner.