Rooh: Wabi-Sabi Holiday Home
Rooh anchors a holiday house in Malpe, India, by Thomas Parambil Architects, between river and Arabian Sea. The low-slung retreat turns away from the obvious postcard view to follow an east-west axis, wrapping daily life around a pool and long deck. Here, shared rooms merge in one open volume while bedroom suites pull back into quieter territory, giving family and friends a place to gather without losing a sense of retreat.
About Rooh
Soft morning light slides along the east-west roofline as water glints beyond both ends. A timber-edged deck hangs between river and sea. From this threshold, the house reads as one calm, linear gesture.
This holiday house in Malpe, India, by Thomas Parambil Architects sits between a river mouth and the Arabian Sea, yet its plan turns toward everyday rituals rather than only the view. Rooms shift along an east-west axis, deep overhangs temper the coastal sun, and a long deck binds the ensemble. The sequence centers on movement between open living, pool, and bedrooms, so circulation feels less like corridor and more like verandah life.
Aligning House And Horizon
Instead of facing a single postcard direction, the building stretches east to west to catch both sunrise and sunset. Deep overhangs on each side cut harsh glare and lend shade to outdoor edges. Standing at one end, the eye runs through open rooms, across the pool, and out to the opposite waterbody. The plan sets up a quiet drama: each step along the length slightly re-frames river, sea, and sky.
Living As One Open Volume
At the heart of Rooh, living, dining, kitchen, and bar fold into a single expansive room. No internal walls interrupt sightlines or conversation. This open core carries the daily noise of meals, games, and late-night talks, making social life the house’s true center. Large openings on both sides slide this volume toward the deck and pool, so inside and outside read as one continuous place for gathering.
Deck, Pool And Corridor-Verandah
A pool and timber-edged deck lie between the communal core and the bedroom wing, working as both hinge and outdoor room. The connecting element acts at once as corridor, verandah, and deck, shifting in role as people cross, pause, or sit. Moving from bedroom to living, the route always touches water, air, and sky, so everyday circulation doubles as a small ritual of transition. The deck becomes the house’s favorite room, holding sunrise coffee at one end and sunset gatherings at the other.
Stepping With The Land
A natural slope drops from the higher western road toward the east, and the house rides this gradient rather than fighting it. Parking and services tuck into a basement below, keeping the upper level reserved for living and landscape. From the street, only the lighter upper volume is visible, so the house reads as modest in height. That quiet profile lets attention drift back to water, trees, and changing coastal light.
Wabi-Sabi Warmth And Local Craft
Material choices favor local craft and a wabi-sabi spirit, with wood and unrefined textures setting a warm, grounded tone. Natural hues run from joinery to deck planks, tying rooms together through touch and color. Common areas stay loose and open, while only the bedrooms close into true rooms, giving privacy without overcomplicating the plan. Simple surfaces, careful junctions, and the play of shadow under the overhangs keep the architecture quiet as the view does the talking.
By day, family life moves along the deck, in and out of water, always with a glimpse of river or sea at the edge of vision. By night, the open core glows against the darker landscape, while bedrooms retreat behind their walls. Rooh holds these rhythms in a clear linear plan, letting light, slope, and water set the tempo of each stay.
Photography courtesy of Thomas Parambil Architects
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