A Tropical Style Holiday Home With Traditional Parsi Interiors in Jajpur, Odisha | ABM Architects

Alfaz Miller, founder of ABM, with his daughter Aahana Miller has crafted a beautiful holiday home in Jajpur, Odisha featuring an elegant mix of tropical architecture and traditional interiors of Parsi homes. On the outside, the elements such as a sloping roof with custom-built overhangs and fascia along with sit-out spaces, bespoke wooden railings, stucco, and terracotta roof tiles give a tropical feel while the materiality inside like terrazzo tiles, embellished grooves and faux rafters on ceiling and even nine-foot-high panelled doors are reminiscent of an old Parsi home. The most dominant element is the verdant greenery that surrounds the entire bungalow. SURFACES REPORTER (SR) gathered more details about this gorgeous bungalow from the architects. Read on:

Also Read: Ar. Ruchir Sheth Designs An Elegant Bungalow Featuring Perky Colour Palette and Rich Finishes | Nilamber Grandeur | Vadodara

Jajpur, located three hours from Bhubaneshwar, is an industrial town in Orissa. The home, located near the Jindal Stainless Limited plant, is nestled between natural sights, overlooking a pond on one side and the forest on the other. The layout is simple and almost symmetrical: the four bedrooms, the living, dining, study and kitchen area on the ground floor with the gym on the upper floor. Each space of the house has an unbeatable vista of lush green landscapes and vegetation. 

Elevated For a Panoramic View

"To enhance the panorama, the entire bungalow was raised by 10 feet to get a view of the pond from the interior spaces.

While the layout may be simple, the real challenge was constructing the home in a remote location with virtually no resources around. The project was successfully completed in under one year. While the home is secluded from the public eye, it is porous and at one with its natural surroundings," says Alfaz.

Sculptural Spiral Staircase- Focal Point of the Entrance Foyer

A sculptural spiral staircase, clad in wood, forms the focal point of the passage space, connecting the ground level to the gym on the upper level.

As one enters the home through a wide double door, a picture window at the entrance, allows one a clear view straight through the living room, to the outdoor sit-out, all the way to the pond.

The double-height living room is at the heart of the home, while the bedrooms and more private spaces are on the periphery. All of the rooms facing the pond have a sit-out space to pause and take in the sights.

The kitchen, pantry and servants’ quarters are appended to the dining and form a separate wing.Exterior Featuring Tropical-Style Architecture

"The objective was to make this a home away from home, the architectural style is thus reminiscent of a tropical style house," says Aahana.

The elements on the exterior capture this essence with its sloping roof with a custom fascia and overhangs along with sit-out spaces, custom wooden railings, stucco, and terracotta roof tiles, to name a few. 

A Touch of Traditional Parsi Home

The guest house is designed for a client who has a penchant for Parsi homes. To enhance the feel of a traditional Parsi home, materiality plays a key role in the interiors. Terrazzo tiles have been used extensively throughout the space; with each area displaying a different pattern, color, chip and texture of very versatile material.

The ceiling has ornamental grooves and faux rafters. The nine-foot-high panelled doors too are evocative of an old Parsi home, with a meticulously crafted profile for the frame.

This same profile is found in other elements of the home like skirting, mirror frames and mouldings. The furniture is carefully curated and is a combination of heirloom furniture sourced from Mumbai, along with contemporary antique-style furniture.

Also Read: This Bungalow by Azure Interiors Drops the Spotlight on Elegance Through Tasteful Elements and Subtle Colour Palette | Raipur

Each Space Tells A Unique Story

The design fuses the best of the old world with modern design sensibilities, needs and comfort. Each room has a unique color story with elegant patterned fabrics to complement the color scheme. The bathroom walls are clad with subway tiles paired with a complementary floor tile and a customised vanity counter. 

"The powder bathrooms are kept neutral with a white wooden tile floor, painted wainscoting and black and white wallpaper. The palette is kept soft and light, and the ample natural light in the house makes the spaces feel airy and inviting," quotes Aahana. 

Lighting is restricted to decorative fixtures, from coloured table lamps, floor lamps and artistic pieces, creating a glow through the house at night-time making the space feel more homely and warm.

Project Details

Products and Materials / Brands

About the Firm

ABM (formerly ABM Architects) is a Mumbai-based Architecture & Interior Design Firm. Alfaz Miller established ABM Architects soon after achieving his Bachelor of Architecture in 1972; his daughter Aahana Miller now manages the practice. ABM's wide experience spans major institutional and corporate projects, private buildings, offices, airports, hotels, health, residential spaces, heritage and conservation work.

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