“Beyond the clutches of time is where I dwell. My oldest comrades are the soaring palms, the lush greens, and the silence so sweet.
You might find the lost laughter of childhood within my walls or a theatrical view of the stars from my roof.
To feel it all, we must meet.”

— the space given a voice of its own

The stories of some abodes live a lifetime of their own before the bones of a home can come together. Such is the tale of this dwelling — nestled amid a colony of unruly greens in the hamlet of Khattalwada.

The home’s christened name is an ode to the site’s eternal residents, a triad of palm trees that form an unassuming axis across the land’s extent. Envisioned for a young Parsi family from Bombay, this property masquerades as their holiday home, which distils the simplistic, nostalgia-fuelled joys of Indian summers: balmy afternoons, languid days spent in the embrace of greenery, endless rounds of board game matches, and icy lemonade devoured on breezy porches. 

Ironically, our first encounter with the residence was far from whimsical! The formerly dilapidated cottage lacked a sound foundation and was gradually succumbing to the ground, desperately needing salvaging. The architectural programme traverses two cuboidal blocks (punctured by wood-encased fenestrations and deep bay windows) with sweeping, intersecting roofs that resemble dynamic brushstrokes frozen in motion.

Organising communal functions under one roof, the first block connects to the second boarding block through a breezeway that can be viewed as the home’s lung. Flanked by a geometric tessellation of mullions along one edge, this segment of the house witnesses honeyed sunlight percolate indoors and cast shadows steeped in a meditative trance.

Bordered by three decks situated on various levels, this contemporary cottage immortalises the green-laden vistas as its muse. Ideal for relishing silence, trotting (though cautiously), or stargazing come nightfall, the charcoal-hued roofs expand the home’s blueprint beyond the inhabitable indoors.

Inside, the cottage’s tapestry harks back to the raw yet elevated demeanour of earthy materiality. Concrete, locally sourced wood, classic harlequin floors, and textured textiles become the home’s sole adornments, underpinning its soulful persona. With its three palms rising as timeless beacons from its heart, this dwelling is emblematic of unhurried ease that wafts slowly towards a faraway yet familiar dream of comfort.