Kalim Beach House

The site of the Kalim Beach House is on a hill with a 180-degree view of Kalim Bay.  It was a challenging narrow and vertical site that had to fit a lot of “house” on it. The house is approached from the top level into a vertical courtyard with a grand staircase that leads users into the living and pool level below.

The house has 4 bedrooms, a large shared living/dining space and a curved pool. Everything is contained within 2 large board-form concrete walls. The building’s main focal point is a vertical courtyard that keeps the surrounding spaces cool and ventilated. Given the spectacular bay views, the building is west-facing to take full advantage of the beautiful Andaman sunsets. To shade from the strong tropical sun and for added privacy, huge sliding bamboo screens are installed in front of all the upper floor bedrooms. Bamboo is used throughout the house for sun-screening -both vertically and horizontally. The living level is where a large infinity-edged swimming pool extends out into the horizon like a giant circular mirror that reflects the sky while echoing the gentle curve of the bay.