A rustic farmhouse that spatially embodies slow living

unTAG wrap this living environment in verandahs that allow the surrounding countryside to become part of the spatial experience.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Yash Prabhu; courtesy unTAG

The site

Envisioned as a retreat for a casting director, and his elderly parents, this cost-effective 2,700-square-foot farmhouse is nestled in Maharashtra’s Kusur village. This pristine one-acre property, belonging to a script writer, lies at an altitude of 600m above mean sea level, atop the Western Ghats, about four hours’ drive from Mumbai.

The brief

The brief given to architecture and interiors studio unTAG was to create an affordable climate-responsive dwelling, contrary to Mumbai’s matchbox urban life, like a Narnian door leading to unexplored wilderness — a homely natural setting to ponder, to unlearn, to hibernate, to script stories.

The planning

“This tranquil abode is planned as a set of two linear pavilions on a gradually sloping terrain, connected by an internal stair with green courts on either side,” say principals Gauri Satam and Tejesh Patil. These two pavilions, one being public, the other more private, are intentionally aligned with the longer sides facing north and south, ensuring year-round thermal comfort through minimal heat gain from the harsh east and west sun. The linear masses are further layered by 10-foot-deep verandahs, shielding the shell from the harsh summer sun and windy torrential rains. “Envisaged as the soul of the home, its these simplistic verandahs, as the critical thresholds between the built and the unbuilt, immaculately framing the picturesque Sahyadris, almost like a constantly changing Van Gogh canvas,” the duo elucidates. “The intent is to soak in nature’s elements, blurring boundaries, while the eye travels from seasonal grasses to paddy fields to pristine mountain ranges, while being under the capacious clear sky above.”

The central idea

This humble home takes subtle clues from the regional vernacular architecture it resides in. The substance here is much more than monumental aesthetics, it’s about what the home looks at and the varied spatial experiences choreographed, through layered visual frames. It’s about seamlessly connecting the home to the surrounding countryside, using elements like window seats, courts, verandahs, and decks, formulating visual associations with nature around.

The spatial flow

One enters the home under a semi-open dining pergola, crafted from saal wood, cocooned with layered greens and seasonally flowering natives. The entrance verandah transcends into a 14’ high living-dining space with an open kitchen, further leading to the elongated living verandah framing the panoramic view of the Sahyadris.

The surroundings

The site planning is theorised on the concept of borrowed landscapes. Consciously leaving most parts of the property un-intervened, saves immense landscaping costs, consumes less water, but most importantly lets the natural terrain visually flow beyond the physical boundaries, ensuring a mindful merger with the regional setting. A pre-existent natural stream has been carefully woven into a bioswale lined with native grasses which culminates to become a holding pond for rainwater harvesting, serves as a seasonal water source for landscaping, also doubles up as a watering hole for the native birds, encouraging a biodiverse environ to inhabit in.

“This project, which we fondly call The Verandah Life, is all about indulgence with nature,” state Gauri and Tejesh, “an unpretentious meek dwelling, subtly emulating the persona of its inhabitants, aspiring to be one with mother earth.”

Fact file

Project: The Verandah Life
Location: Kusur village, Mawal Tehsil, Maharashtra
Area: One acre (site); 2,700 sq ft (farmhome)
Design firm: unTAG Architecture and Interiors
Project team: Gauri Satam, Tejesh Patil, Kavya Shah and Ritu Naik