Situated along the quiet banks of the Machchundari River near Dron village in Gujarat’s Kathiawar region, this homestay offers a refined synthesis of regional character and geographical sensitivity.
Project Name: Rushitoya
Studio Name: d6thD design studio
Location: Droneshwar, Una, Gujarat
Completion Year: 2024
Built Area: 7500 Sq.Ft
Site Area: 1.5 Acre
Photo Credits: Inclined Studio
Conceived by architect Himanshu Patel of d6thD, the project is deeply informed by the natural contours of the land and echoes the spatial logic of traditional Kathiyawadi homes. What begins as a modest and narrow entry path unfolds gradually into a spatial tale—where thresholds, roofs, and topography engage in a layered conversation with the landscape and the river beyond.
One of the primary design challenges—and opportunities—was the site’s two distinct levels, with an elevation shift of approximately 8 feet. Instead of confronting this change, the design embraces it, using the terrain to orchestrate circulation and movement. The approach is deliberately understated, concealing the river’s presence and amplifying its reveal as a moment of spatial surprise. Entry is choreographed to feel domestic and grounded, following the familiar form of a Kathiyawadi delo, where a small forecourt leads into a larger internal courtyard, acting as the heart of the home.
Although developed for short-term stay, the homestay departs from conventional hospitality models by embracing the vocabulary of a lived-in house. Drawing from the traditional aangnu-centric arrangement, the plan revolves around a central open space that is both climatic buffer and cultural anchor. In classic Kathiyawadi homes, such courtyards were sites of community activity—from storytelling and rituals to performances. This ethos is preserved here, with the upper level reserved for private sleeping quarters, while communal functions like cooking, dining, and gathering unfold on the lower, sunken plane.
Unlike typical tourist accommodations that frame postcard views from every room, this design chooses a subtler rhythm—allowing the river to emerge gradually in the experience. Views are filtered, framed, and withheld until one move deeper into the home, making the encounter more meaningful.
The main courtyard at entry level becomes the organizing node, linking rooms and acting as a dispersal point. A bridge extends from this core, connecting to transitional indoor-outdoor living areas that open toward the river in carefully measured ways. From here, a stair descends to the lower realm—where the courtyard flows into a dining area, positioned for thermal comfort and visual connection. The interplay of levels not only adds spatial drama but helps regulate microclimatic conditions: the sunken zones remain cooler, while upper semi-covered spaces invite filtered light and breeze.
The structure abstains from reinforced concrete, opting instead for traditional load-bearing techniques using brick and locally available sandstone. The palette honors regional material culture—incorporating salvaged teakwood doors and windows, lending the project a lived-in authenticity and resource efficiency. Himanshu’s design process thrives on in-situ experimentation: intricate surface treatments, recessed niches, and tactile details all emerge through on-site improvisation, creating spaces that are richly textured and emotionally resonant.
In its totality, the homestay becomes more than a getaway—it is an architecture of experience and memory. It resists the urge to replicate or romanticize the past and instead reinterprets vernacular in a way that is both functional and celebratory. Rooted in context and culture, the home demonstrates how new construction can honour tradition not by imitation but through thoughtful evolution.
