Located in Alibag, India and designed by Architecture Brio, this 300m2 retreat residence uses the natural landscaping of the property to create a stunning visual of open and closed areas weaving around the banks of a small stream. Crossing the stream is a steel and glass overpass that leads from the main house to the master suite. The home is clad in vertical grain plank look concrete that develops a weathered patina over time allowing it to either sit or cantilever harmoniously within the surrounding landscape. Even the man made rockery protruding from the stream blends seamlessly with the pre-existing natural banks.
Entrance to the residence is via a covered arbour that flanks the stream. The arboured walkway leads to an overpass that leads to the front that is in direct contrast to the more fluid shapes of the surrounding trees.
The living area is next to the kitchen in one of the many protrusions of the home’s footprint. The living room is, in fact, cantilevered out and over the grounds for a birds eye view of the surrounding landscape and distant mountain range. The space feels light and bright with its white surround, waxed concrete flooring and midtone wood features in the living room and on the kitchen island.
The Kitchen Island contains sink, cooktop and bar overhang. A series of 5 pendants suspended over the island floods the space with light as does the skylight and the large expanses of window. In the distance the dining area is positioned to take advantage of more views.
The view from the dining room window shows just how considerate Architecture Brio was to the surrounding landscape with a carefully placed niche in the deck allowing a preexisting tree to maintain its location.
The design of the home causes the final layout to be less then standard with the façade arranged to accommodate the trees and stream. This careful allocation of walls allows for up close and personal views of trees and foliage, creating a natural art form that both the homeowners and their visitors can enjoy.
The dining room opens up to a poolside deck as well as an arbour-covered pathway that leads to the master bedroom. Both the arbour and the pool follow the line of the stream and while the arbour shades the walkway, the tree canopy shades the pool.
The Master bedroom is an oasis of serenity further enhanced by the deck that cantilevers over the stream. What better way to start or end a day then quietly rocking back and forth in the deck chair listening to the sounds of the water in the stream and the rustling of the leaves in the trees.
With walls of glass that stack out of the way the outdoor experience is as easily appreciated from the bed as it is from a chair on the deck.
The site itself creates the footprint of the home. While each space is easily accessible to each other, the standard volumes of space do not apply here. The floor plan is actually quite linear and long, but then it has been bent and angled to allow for the preexisting trees and stream.
The final result is a home that is a series of volumes in perfect harmony with the landscape.
Even the well thought out cantilevers of the home respond seamlessly with the ebb and flow of the uneven terrain.
Architecture Brio
Photography by Sebastian Zachariah
