Ma+rs Architecture Completes Serenity Wildlife Retreat in Tamil Nadu with Thatched Roof Design

Indian architecture studio Ma+rs has finished constructing Serenity, a wildlife retreat in Tamil Nadu, India. Located on a 1.6-hectare forested plot near Sethumadai village, the project transforms part of the area into a wildlife corridor, dedicating over half the site for elephants, leopards, and bison. Designed by principal architects Anisha Menon and Sabyasachi Routray, the building features a steel-framed structure on a reused stone plinth, topped with a 25-centimeter-thick thatched roof composed of six pitched volumes. The roof mimics the Anamalai mountain range to blend with the landscape. The layout includes a two-story L-shaped bedroom block with lime plaster walls, a large open terrace, a courtyard, a swimming pool, and a separate entrance pavilion. The design aims to minimize environmental impact and serve as a 'quiet observer' within the natural setting. Additional site features include two ponds created from water runoff to support wildlife.