Bare Brick

Koppam, India

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Bare Brick

Koppam, India

Firm

Yuuga Design Collective

Type

Residential › Private House

STATUS

Built

YEAR

2026

SIZE

3000 sqft - 5000 sqft

BUDGET

$5M - 10M

Bare Brick House is located near Koppam, Kerala, on a 30-cent layered site surrounded by paddy fields, dense greenery, and the quiet character of a rural landscape. The site presented a strong natural identity from the beginning. With a level difference of nearly 10 feet from the main road and a continuing natural slope across the plot, the land carried its own spatial rhythm. Rather than altering this terrain drastically, the design approach was to preserve its existing layers and allow the architecture to emerge from the character of the site.
The primary challenge was access. A direct entry from the front road would have required extensive cutting and levelling of the land, which would have compromised the natural beauty of the plot. Instead, the design utilised a secondary road along the right side of the property, allowing the house to be approached without disturbing the original contour of the site. This decision became central to the planning strategy. The house was positioned in relation to the natural levels, with the porch aligned to one layer of the land and the main ground floor placed on a deeper level. This created a gradual exterior approach while ensuring that the interiors remained completely step-free, responding to the client's requirement for an elder-friendly home.
The client, Ashraf Ikka, envisioned a four-bedroom residence that would stand apart from the conventional houses in the region while remaining practical, private, and comfortable for everyday family life. The brief included four bedrooms with dressing areas and attached toilets, two living spaces, a prayer room, a show kitchen, and a separate working kitchen. Privacy was a key requirement, both between guest and family zones and within the bedroom areas. At the same time, the house needed to feel open, well-lit, and naturally ventilated. The planning therefore evolved as a balance between openness and privacy, connection and separation.
The architectural form is kept simple, linear, and grounded. Since the site itself had a strong layered character, the built form was designed to remain restrained, allowing the landscape and levels to remain visually present. The material palette follows the same clarity, combining white surfaces, cement grey tones, exposed brick, and natural stone paving. These materials were selected for their honesty, durability, and ability to respond beautifully to Kerala's tropical light and climate.
The exposed brick screen wall is the defining architectural element of the house. As the residence is elevated from the road, privacy from the public edge became a major consideration. The brick screen acts as a protective yet breathable layer, filtering views, light, and air. The brick has been left completely raw, without plaster, paint, or additional finish. Its natural colour, texture, and shadow quality give the house its identity, leading to the name Bare Brick House. Here, brick is not merely a surface treatment; it becomes an architectural device for privacy, ventilation, light modulation, and visual character. The landscape plays an equally important role in softening the linear mass of the building. Tropical planting, stone-paved edges, verandas, and brick screens create a gradual transition between the exterior and interior spaces. The house does not sit as an object on the land; it settles into the terrain, allowing built form and landscape to work together. A balcony connected to the stair landing further breaks the volume of the staircase and brings natural light, air, and greenery into the interior experience.
The internal planning is organised around a clear hierarchy of public, semi-private, and private spaces. The formal living area is placed closer to the road, above the porch, allowing guests to be received without disturbing the deeper family zones. The family areas are positioned further inside the site, gaining a greater sense of privacy and calm. At the centre of the house is the double-height dining space, which acts as the spatial and emotional core of the home. It connects the family living, kitchen, prayer room, bedrooms, and stair area, while also bringing in light and vertical openness. This double-height volume creates a sense of generosity within the house without compromising intimacy. It visually connects the ground and first floors, allowing the family to remain connected across levels. Light changes through the day within this central space, creating a dynamic interior atmosphere shaped by sunlight, shadow, air, and movement.
A private patio yard is directly connected to the dining area, extending the family space outward while maintaining privacy through the raw brick wall. This courtyard-like pocket introduces light, ventilation, and greenery into the daily life of the house. It becomes a quiet pause within the plan,offering an intimate relationship with the outdoors without exposing the family to the public edge. Large openings throughout the house encourage natural light and cross ventilation, reducing dependence on artificial lighting during the day. The windows are carefully positioned not only for climatic comfort, but also to frame views of the surrounding landscape. The result is an interior environment that feels open, breathable, and constantly connected to nature.
The ground floor accommodates the master bedroom and an elder-friendly bedroom, ensuring ease of access and long-term comfort. The first floor houses two children's bedrooms, connected through the double-height stair and dining volume. This planning allows each bedroom to maintain privacy while still being part of the larger family experience of the house.
The interior design language draws inspiration from tropical Balinese architecture, interpreted through a contemporary and restrained palette. Lime-washed walls, walnut-finished custom furniture, arched openings, black-framed windows, pale green tiles, natural cane lighting, and soft earthy textures define the atmosphere of the home. The design avoids excess ornamentation, allowing materiality, proportion, light, and craftsmanship to shape the spatial experience. The lime-washed walls bring softness and depth, while the walnut furniture adds warmth and grounding. Arched openings create gentle transitions between spaces, and cane lighting introduces a handcrafted tropical quality. The black frames add a modern contrast, giving the interiors a clean and refined character. Together, these elements create a home that feels warm, calm, and rooted in its context while maintaining a contemporary sensibility.
The project took nearly four years to complete. Throughout the process, the client offered complete trust and design freedom, allowing the design to evolve and mature over time. This long process enabled careful refinement of the planning, material choices, interior details, and overall atmosphere of the house. After moving into the residence, the family found the home to be not only visually distinct but also comfortable, private, and deeply suited to their lifestyle. For the design team, this became the most meaningful outcome of the project.
Bare Brick House is not defined only by its exposed brick. It is defined by its response to land, climate, privacy, and family life. It is a house that preserves the natural character of its site, creates openness without compromising privacy, and uses material honesty as a form of architectural expression. Rooted in its terrain and shaped by light, air, and landscape, Bare Brick House stands as a calm, timeless, and contextually sensitive home.

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Bare Brick

Koppam, India

Other Projects by Yuuga Design Collective

EMA

Bare Brick

Koppam, India

Product Spec Sheet

Collaborating Firms

Team