Saturday - Nov 14th Tamerlane Concept

We awaited J's presentation of Tamerlane concept with a mixture of excitement and butterflies. He was coming to see us to discuss his design vision and we had no idea of what to expect, except of what we knew of him already. That he was a artisan architect, who is keen on creating interesting spaces using simple materials like concrete and brick.

The meeting took place in our home over Saturday dinner around 7.30pm and I made some curry samosas as a pre dinner snack and J. Oliver's roast duck in plums for the main.

Our dining table was cleared for him to talk about the drawings and he had even made a styrofoam model complete with foliage and removable roof! I was intrigued.


To say the least, after his speech and being the model and drawings, we could not be happier. T was overjoyed and we loved every aspect of the concept. What a relief !!


The land faces the Indian Ocean and is sloping gently downwards up to one point where there is a cliff face that drops down to the beach.

As you enter onto the land from the back, you will enter the house by walking on its roof. The grassy patch you stand on will be a roof grass garden and to enter the house, one walks down a flight of steps not unlike entering a basement.

So you go from light to dark and at the bottom of the stairs, you are confronted by a narrow and straight corridor and as you continue on this path, you will pass a door on your left ie, the first bedroom. The corridor slops downwards gently and you pass the door of the second bedroom. and the corridor now widens out to a foyer where you will now for the first time, see the sea.

As you climb down from the foyer, you enter the biggest room in the house, the living space. It contains the couch, dining table and a bar area. There are no walls in this room, only a 12 feet ceiling above you and coconut trunks as pillars that hold the structure up. The living space is fronted by a deck then grassy area and beyond that the pool.

The bar area is unique as it is a counter space that connects the indoor to the outdoor. J plans to create stepping stones that lead from the bar counter outdoors to the final destination, the barbeque!!


Of the living room is a passage leading to two other rooms, the master bedroom and the TV room. There are courtyards in all the rooms so there are trees within living spaces. There will be plenty of space for you guys when you come to visit!

His genius however was yet to be revealed. The grassy roof includes a added feature, a structure not unlike a diving board or a raised platform. This segment is inclined upwards so it is higher than the rest of the roof and thus higher than any part of the house. The view will be unparalleled, perfect spot to nurse that sundowner cocktail.



Pretty cool.