Women’s Hostel

On a sloping site in Idukki, the hostel follows the hill instead of fighting it. The accommodation is arranged in blocks that step down the contours, each level set back from the one below so that every room gets its share of light, air and view.

The facades are wrapped in perforated brick screens — a jali that shades the rooms, lets breezes through and gives residents privacy without closing them off. Behind the screens, flat roofs and simple plastered volumes keep the architecture calm and easy to maintain.

The building follows the hill instead of fighting it.

A paved forecourt and a rubble-stone retaining wall tie the building to its site, turning the change in level into terraces for gathering. It is meant to feel like a sanctuary: secure, grounded and generous with daylight.