The dry kitchen, designed by Binesh Balagopalan at an ancestral house in Kerala, strikes a perfect balance between modern and traditional

 

The exciting thing about kitchen design is that it changes and develops over time to allow for new and innovative features. This particular project Jaleel’s Residence, designed by Cochin-based architectural firm Nvironment Planning, headed by Binesh Balagopalan, is designed on 1.75 acre plot in Kondungallur, Kerala was meant to represent the ancestral home for the family.

 

According to the architect, the design of this house primarily attempted to address the functional and aesthetic needs of a big and diverse family, which would use their own respective ways and in doing that the project required to be both modern and traditional at the same time.

 

It all began with the minimal briefing or no briefing from the residents except for the fact that the kitchen had to be a part of the formal living, family dining and the common banqueting only meant for the family hence it was designed considering the client’s perspective in mind; that included kitchen appliances and accessories for example microwave meant only for the owners cooking only, an independent kitchen.

 

Role of design and functionality in the making

Balagopalan views this kitchen as more of a dry kitchen, budgeted and also placed where the actual cooking is not done. It is more of a family dining, meeting place for sharing and exchanging good moments along with eating food, this core concept acted as the defining statement for the making of this kitchen project.

 

The actual cooking is done on the other end of the dining area where the food is served via a shutter door that opens up and food is served to dine. “The scheme of things here is the formal dining connected to this kitchen where food is served during dining only and that’s how this kitchen works."