A Home in the Hills, Kodaikanal

Set on a steeply sloping 70-cent site in Kodaikanal, this family vacation home looks out over the Lake nestled below. Scattered across the site are pear, peach and cypress trees, along with natural rock outcrops. A rainwater channel runs right across the length of the property, adding another layer to the challenge of building here.

The brief was to create an elegant, spacious and easy-to-maintain home that would be comfortable for the entire family, including its senior members. Above all, the house was to make the most of its spectacular setting, allowing the landscape and the views to take centre stage.

The family’s needs extended beyond the main house. A separate studio was planned for the client’s son, a space where he could do his own thing, whether painting, baking or making music. Staff quarters for the live-in help and caretaker were also part of the brief.

Working with the Land

The steep terrain called for a sensitive approach to siting and planning. The main house was positioned closer to the road, on the larger of the two strips of land formed by the rainwater channel. Further down the slope, the staff quarters were nestled between the channel and the site boundary, while the Studio occupied a gentler stretch of land below.

Throughout, the aim was to work with the natural contours and keep cutting and filling to a minimum.

A Plan Around a Courtyard

The site profile and the client’s brief led to a compact, almost square plan, with the rooms arranged around a central open-to-sky courtyard. The house unfolds over two levels, with the upper floor occupying a larger footprint and the lower floor tucked into the slope.

A lift was incorporated to make the home comfortable and accessible for the elderly. A gently curving driveway leads to the car portico, from where a covered passage connects to the main house.

Framing the Views, Bringing in the Light

The landscape is the real ‘hero’ here. To capture the changing views of the valley and lake, the corner rooms were extended outwards to form bay windows, opening up vistas in three directions. Each space offers a slightly different relationship with the setting, bringing the outdoors into everyday life.

Natural light was given equal importance. Skylights over the central courtyard, dining hall and kitchen transform these spaces, bringing in daylight and creating a changing play of light and shadow through the day.

The landscape consultant was involved from the very beginning, working alongside the architectural team to shape a home in which the built form and the natural setting complement each other.

The result is a home that embraces its hillside setting, celebrates the views at every opportunity and offers the family a relaxed, welcoming retreat in the hills.