Karthik Devarajan

AR2056

Tishina: A Descent to Tranquility

Tishina residence is a retreat embedded in the land, designed as a slow spatial journey from light to shadow, openness to enclosure. It responds to the rhythms of sun and season, with each level tuned to changing light and wind through the day. The architecture invites stillness—spaces unfold gently, guiding the body and senses into quietude. At its heart, Tishina is about fulfilling a deeper, inner thirst: not for activity, but for pause, reflection, and peace.

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‘Transient Traces’- a reading series where we read the likes of Peter Zumthor’s ‘Atmospheres’, and Lata Mani’s ‘Integral Nature of Things’ to develop sensitivity. These readings began at Chhaya’s weekend house, a perfect place to begin this journey.

Translating spatial experience through different media—starting with sketches from Chhaya’s house, followed by storyboarding thematic sequences, and finally making an experiential movie.

A time problem to conceptualise models exploring sky, inward, and horizontal senses, followed by an abrupt site visit to Jawai, Rajasthan, the spaces still fresh in mind.

Shadow studies and massing explorations to refine spatial placements, alongside early iterations of the design responding to topography and light.

Detailed shadow analysis across seasons and times of day, informing refinements in orientation, massing, and roof slopes for key spaces like the art studio, courtyard, and kitchen.

Exploring interior light quality through seasonal and temporal daylight simulations using lightbox models. The materials, the colour of the walls, and daylighting strategies come together to create these explorations.

Spatial organization and mutual shading through plan and section iterations. The sectional drawing captures terrain negotiation, while seasonal shadow analysis across times of day reveals how massing, cut-outs, and roof slopes affect internal daylight and external shading, informing passive cooling strategies and interspace relationships.

Experiential representation of plans and sections.

1:100 scale model to understand massing, and 1:50 scale lightbox model to provide the experience of being in and around the courtyard.

Moments—anchored in one space, yet their essence drifts beyond, felt everywhere through ever-changing experiences.

Project Video