It can be just about anything. Whether it involves deconstructing concrete cuboids or burrowing into ridges, contemporary Indian architects are going all out to design weekend homes you could only have dreamt of. Anjana Vaswani tracks the latest trends in architecture as seen in weekend homes


House on the ridge
Khadakvasla, Pune

Whether it involves deconstructing concrete cuboids or burrowing into ridges, contemporary Indian architects are going all out to design weekend homes you could only have dreamt of. Anjana Vaswani tracks the latest trends in architecture as seen in weekend homes

Though relatively young at just 10 years, Kalina-based Opolis Architects is already out there shaking up conventions as it carves more than just an impressive name for itself.

Although the project we have in mind as we say this, has bagged four awards, Rahul Gore, a principal of the firm who spearheads the company with partner Sonal Sancheti, barely touches on the fact as he enthusiastically shares details of the House on the Ridge.

Gore guards his client's identity with fervour befitting the CIA, before he reveals, "He is a doctor, and the house serves as a holiday home for him and his wife. Their children are grown up; they have grandkids too, and occasionally, the whole family ends up spending time here."

The doctor, we learn, owned a 2 acre stretch of land in Khadakvasla near Pune, so the idea of burrowing right into the ridge was not born because of a lack of space but was rooted in two reasons. "Firstly, the land afforded a gorgeous view, and the client was keen to enjoy it fully.
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We wanted to find a way to offer him that view without any obstructions," Gore shares, pausing to emphasise that the house is uniquely positioned so that at one point in the day, its residents can enjoy the sight of both, the setting sun and the rising moon, at once.

Secondly, the idea of nestling the house into the ridge itself, the architects felt, was environmentally sound, allowing for the most natural flow of water and wind.

But the project which took a year-and-a-half to complete posed several challenges. Gore admits that its position was precarious.

The land afforded a gorgeous view, and the client was keen to enjoy it fully, says Gore. The architects wanted to find a way to offer him that view without any obstructions.

"We had to think of a way to ensure the house was secure and wouldn't slide down the mountain," he says matter-of-factly.

Twin giant underground water-harvesting tanks were therefore devised to serve as anchors, even as they worked to collect 1,00,000 litres of water each, sufficient for the family's domestic needs for the entire year.
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"This was also extremely prudent given that due to the altitude of the house, water would otherwise have to be pumped from Khadakvasla Lake, two kilometres away, which would be mighty energy-consuming."

The main roof over the public spaces in the house is inclined towards the south. "This was to protect it from the fury of the rains and the breeze that sweep up the windward side of the mountain."

Having worked with leading architects both, here and in Japan, eco-sensitivity is a key element in Gore's designs, and in this one, he tells us, "We were determined to minimise cut and fill, so as to leave the mountain side undisturbed as far as possible, while retaining most of the existing natural teak wood plantation on the slopes. This, in turn, reduced soil erosion."

House of the Ridge is also designed to maximise nature's bounty. "A sunken courtyard and water bodies were incorporated to enhance ventilation and maximise on natural light.


The main roof over the public spaces in the house is
inclinedu00a0 towards the south. This was to protect it from
the fury of the rains and the breeze that sweeps
up the windward side of the mountain.

"We had to think of a way to ensure the house was secure and wouldn't slide down the mountain," he says matter-of-factly.

Twin giant underground water-harvesting tanks were therefore devised to serve as anchors, even as they worked to collect 1,00,000 litres of water each, sufficient for the family's domestic needs for the entire year.
u00a0
"This was also extremely prudent given that due to the altitude of the house, water would otherwise have to be pumped from Khadakvasla Lake, two kilometres away, which would be mighty energy-consuming."

The main roof over the public spaces in the house is inclined towards the south. "This was to protect it from the fury of the rains and the breeze that sweeps up the windward side of the mountain."

Having worked with leading architects both, here and in Japan, eco-sensitivity is a key element in Gore's designs, and in this one, he tells us, "We were determined to minimise cut and fill, so as to leave the mountain side undisturbed as far as possible, while retaining most of the existing natural teak wood plantation on the slopes. This, in turn, reduced soil erosion."

House of the Ridge is also designed to maximise nature's bounty. "A sunken courtyard and water bodies were incorporated to enhance ventilation and maximise natural light.

Floating Cuboidu00a0
Alibaug

Built on seven acres of land on a hill in Alibaug, with 11,500 square feet of built-up area, this Malik Constructions' design was originally intended to serve as the family's full-time residence, but a change of circumstances meant that they now use it as a holiday home.

A conventional design for a heavily-contoured site such as this, would have traditionally incorporated a stepped terrace. Architect Arjun Malik, whose father Kamal completed this project in two years, explains, "Instead, we chose to deconstruct a cuboid that is tilted and suspended over the ground and seems to simultaneously float and flow down the hill."


Part of the client's brief was to have the primary living
space and verandah in close proximity to the swimming
pool, and so, the architects used the contours of the hill
to design a stilted infinity pool

The alternative, Malik reveals, would have resulted in a large scale excavation and cutting up of the hill, and may not have maximised the natural contours of the landscape."

Though his brief was simple and the idea was to create a unique family home, Malik explains, "A walk through the house is meant to yield unique moments of being suspended in space, of intimate enclosure and yet, it allows one to feel closely connected to nature."

Pointing out that the hilltop location of the house afforded spectacular views of the sea and surrounding terrain, Malik shares, "But the high wind speeds and heavy rains that the location is subject to, necessitated a re-analysis of the traditional pitched roof."

Though some of us may have a hard time recognising the similarity, Malik insists that the main roof of the living room and the verandah is merely a re-interpretation of the traditional clay-tiled roof. It's simply re-designed for better performance and to provide weather protection for the main pool deck, the entrance verandah and the car porch.



Part of the client's brief was to have the primary living space and verandah in close proximity to the swimming pool, the architect shares, explaining that his company therefore used the contours of the hill to design a stilted infinity pool "that satisfied the client's requirements and provided an auxiliary shaded verandah below it, that opens onto a large garden that could be used in inclement weather."

Turkish butterfly lands in Alibaug
The hottest weekend resort is now home to a trendy outdoor furniture and decor store that stocks wares from Turkey, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Philippines and Central America

Top 3 finds at Kelebec


Wooden Garden Whale: Two feet in length, this garden ornament can be used as a showpiece indoors. It is crafted from a combination of Balau wood and teak.Price: Rs 3,995


Antalya Hanging Iron Garden Lamp: This stainless steel and iron lamp can be hung outdoors but would also dress up a balcony just as beautifully. Price: Rs 4,250


Chelsea Lace Swing: This synthetic rattan swing with its interesting bird-basket style weave was imported from Vietnam. Price: Rs 39,450

It was less than a year ago that New Yorker Nymrata Advani Bickici and husband Yunus decided to set up shop close to their holiday home in Alibaug.

But the mother of two tells us the idea had been threading through her mind for a long time. "We've been coming to Alibaug for more than eight years, so we had a good idea of what's required," she says. It was an attempt at dressing up their own home that finally helped them make up their minds.

"When we were looking around for interesting furniture to do up our home in Zirad, we realised that good quality, aesthetically-pleasing outdoor furniture was rare to find even in Mumbai. Good designs were often exorbitant."

It was in October last year that Kelebec ('butterfly' in Turkish) finally opened doors in Alibaug, and while many may have initially confused the Spanish-style construction with its white stucco and brown-tiled roof,

Decor tips from Nymrata
Focus on a few key furniture pieces that are unique, interesting, yet practical. These can be brightened up with colours. For instance, lazy loungers, day beds and big roomy armchairs in neutral colours which are used outdoors can be livened up with upholstery or cushions in eye-catching colours like reds, oranges and yellows to complement greenery or in shades of blue and aqua around a water body.

Pick one focal object for a room or outdoor space such as a stunning antique wooden showpiece or a gorgeous stone fountain, and keep everything else around it simple and minimal.