Dezeen Magazine

Toy Storey by Wallmakers

Wallmakers wraps Indian home with perforated walls made with discarded toys

Architecture studio Wallmakers has repurposed approximately 6,200 discarded toys to construct the walls of Toy Storey, a circular home in Kerala, India.

The aptly named residence by Wallmakers uses toys discarded in the area, which are unsuitable for recycling, as structural components and decoration within the external walls.

Exterior view of home by Wallmakers
A cantilevered verandah wraps around the circular home

"The main concept of Toy Storey revolves around the idea of using discarded toys and effectively conveying a message through this," studio founder Vinu Daniel told Dezeen.

"By repurposing around 6,200 discarded toys, the residence in Kerala becomes a living monument to nostalgia and childhood, while addressing environmental concerns," he added.

View of exterior wall of Toy Storey home
Approximately 6,200 discarded toys are used in the home's walls

Toy Storey is wrapped by perforated, curved walls composed of compressed stabilised earth blocks, Mangalore tiles and toys, designed to draw in light and enable cross ventilation through the home. A ferrocement roof sits on top.

Four evenly-spaced entrances puncture the facade, which is wrapped by a cantilevered verandah offering outdoor space overlooking the surrounding greenery.

Living space within Kerala home
Perforated walls draw light and ventilation through the interior

Inside, the home's first floor is divided into public and private segments. The public half is defined by a large living room while the private half contains an open-plan kitchen and dining area flanked by bedrooms.

"One of the things that the client mentioned was they often host their neighbours and members of the community, which means there are often many people in the house," Daniel said.

"Hence we decided to make the area the people frequented separate from that of the client’s family’s personal spaces," he continued.

Japanese-style shoji screens are used as partitions throughout the interior to enable light into each space and connectivity between the private and public areas.

Kitchen interior within Toy Storey home in India
An open-plan kitchen and dining area are flanked by bedrooms

The site's topography enabled the addition of a secluded basement level containing a library and bedroom, accessed from the upper floor by a central staircase.

An internal courtyard topped with a glass ceiling slices through the building providing additional daylight for the interior.

Bedroom interior within Toy Storey in India
Japanese-style shoji screens are used as internal partitions

Wallmakers is an architecture studio established by Daniel in 2007. Elsewhere in India, Wallmakers has also recently completed an arts centre with rooftop seating and a house that resembles "snake curling up under a rock".

Last year, Daniel faced criticism on social media for his studio's use of unpaid internships, which he claims have an important educational benefit.

The photography is by Syam Sreesylam and Althaf Rasheed.

More images and plans

Site plan of Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Plan
Ground floor plan of Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Plan
First floor plan of Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Plan
Section drawing of Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Section
Front elevation of Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Elevation
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers
Toy Storey by Wallmakers