Indian architecture practice Earthscape Studio has designed a farmhouse that is wrapped by a gabion wall to filter daylight and airflow to the interior the mountain ranges in Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.

Named The Infinite Rise, the 167-square-metre farmhouse is located in the midst of the mountain ranges and it offers a 180 degree view towards the beautiful mountains with a deep valley in front. 

Drawn on a circular plan, the front façade of the house is made up of a gabion wall - a cage system filled with rock, concrete, or sand to slow down the velocity of possible concentrated runoff and stabilize slopes, acting as a natural filter.

The program of the house, divided into radial spaces, consists of main entry, living area, two bedrooms, two wcs, pantry and bar, corridor, waterbody, deck, infinity swimming pool, and terrace. 

All program elements are shapred around a central corridor and waterbody.

"The site has natural rock bed and we as architects, do not want to disturb the natural landform present," said Earthscape Studio. 

"The site already had a 6 meters deep land cut when we visited for the first time. We used that landform to bring out the structure with view towards the valley." 

"Also the site has more rocks with a slope difference on an average of 2 to 4 meters deep throughout the site," the studio added.

The goal of the design was to direct all spaces towards the valley with an open courtyard in the middle which helps in natural lighting and ventilation inside the building. 

The architects explained that the wind flow constituted the main character of the site, and it was "unbelievably heavy and it might make difficult for  the glass partition and heavy noise is created if it was exposed directly." 

The challenge for the architects was to have a great view for the house but at the same time not be exposed to direct wind flow. 

To achieve this, the studio proposed a gabion wall, where the rocks are placed according to the anthropometrical activities inside the spaces which gives a view towards the valley. 

The studio collected all the rocks used for the gabion wall from the natural site. "There is always a difference between viewing directly and viewing indirectly at a sight," the architects continued. 

"The indirect look always gives interesting factor and increase an urge to find out about the space. This is also a major factor for this gabion wall where we look through the series of mountains in various perspectives," they added.

In between the spaces, the walls are made of a poured earth wall where the mud is used from the existing site which made the construction process easier for the studio. 

"The floor finish is made of green oxide which helps in keeping the spaces inside cooler than the outside temperature," said the studio. 

"During summer, the place gets really hot, to avoid that, oxide flooring and open courtyard helps in maintaining cool temperature inside the spaces." 

In addition, thanks to the water body in between the room and the gabion wall, they help in reducing the hot air temperature when it travels from outside to the inside.  

In the interior, the studio used wood material collected from the scrap, and reused to doors, bar table, arm chairs, bar stool and kitchen cabinets. 

Infinity pool was designed to give an amazing experience to swim with a valley mountain view in the opposite. 

The natural landform of the site was not disturbed, as the architects explained, and the building is camouflaged with its natural surrounding which helps in experiencing the nature. 

The materials used in the building meet the principles of sustainability at the maximum level, and according to the architects, this building serves as a bridge between humans and nature.

Floor plan

Roof plan

Section AA

Section BB

Sketch

Earthscape Studio completed The Wendy House which was entriely made of locally available and sustainable materials, by developing its own construction system. 

Petchimuthu Kennedy established Earthscape Studio in 2022 after he pursued his architectural journey at Wallmakers - founded by Vinu Daniel.

Earthscape Studio's ideology and design philosophy in architecture aims to create and bring out buildings with soulfulness and emotion in the spaces.

Project facts

Project name: The Infinite Rise

Architects: Earthscape Studio

Location: Anaikatti, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu

Completion Year: 2023

Gross Built Area (m2/ ft2): 167m2

Lead Architects: Petchimuthu Kennedy 

Team: Petchimuthu Kennedy, Shivani Saran S K, Ayyasamy, Ragavendran

All images © Studio IKSHA.

All drawings © Earthscape Studio.

> via Earthscape Studio

Earthscape Studio farmhouse gabion wall