This Mountain House echoes the surrounding topography through its built-form

Unbound Studio designed this home as a structure with modern aesthetics rooted in traditional wisdom.

Curated by: Rupali Sebastian
Photographs: Vikrant Dashputre; courtesy Unbound Studio

The setting

The Mountain House is situated in the quaint little town of Wadiwarhe, a few minutes away from the city of Nashik. It is cradled in the lap of nature surrounded with mountains on all sides. The plot is set on an east-west axis which makes way for an uninterrupted wind flow from south-west to north-east throughout the house, thus creating a virtual diagonal.

The idea

An in-depth study of the context by architect Jay Chauhan of Unbound Studio resulted in the home having a strong emotional connection with the mountains. The bold surfaces and rhythmic lines influenced the form of the structure; which is designed as the shadow of the mountain, translating the mountain’s qualities into the built-form. The south west corner of the house also forms the first viewpoint of the house. “It is this axis which segregates the public and private areas of the house, and also subtly dictates the internal movement by pulling the user closer to the mountains,” discloses Jay.

The internal programme

The planning of the house adheres to the Indian traditional concepts of architecture and Vastu Shastra. The entrance court inside the house is flanked by a staircase which leads to the upper floor. The double-height central space of the house, the Brahmasthal, is washed with ambient sunlight coming from the linear skylight overhead, thus establishing a connection between the land and sky. This light hits the gravel-finished internal wall orchestrating a fascinating shadow play throughout the day, which gives a dynamic vibe to the whole living room experience and a beautiful backdrop to always look out for. This space forms the living room of the house, and is connected to the kitchen and dining area on the left. An overhead bridge links the living areas and bedrooms. “It is a pause point which overlooks the living room below, the skylight above and connects all the spaces in the house tangentially and otherwise,” Jay tells us.

The material palette

Natural materials sourced locally and crafted on site articulate the idea of living close to nature. They also give a sense of having emerged from the land itself because of the deep ochre pigmented grit plaster used as an exterior finish for the entire house. The raw interiors derive their inspiration from rugged mountain caves. The coarse texture also acts as a reliable weather resistant technique during extreme winters, summers and on windy days. “The Mountain House revolves around the idea of living in harmony with nature, facilitating fluid transition and providing residents with a sanctuary to relax and connect with the outdoors,” concludes the architect.