This property is perfectly situated, with uninterrupted views of the man-made lake and the Unesco-recognized western ghats. Because of the plot’s northerly approach, any building form would obscure the view of the surroundings.
KdnD Studio LLP Partners: -Ar. Anand Menon, Ar. Shobhan Kothari & Ar. Kiran Kapadia
Completion year: May,2019
Area: 6500 sqft
Location: Aambey valley, Lonavala, Maharashtra.
Credits for photography: ©Photographix | Sebastian Zachariah
Web site: www.kdnd.in
The house must fit the site and, more significantly, should blend in with the surroundings rather than being an eyesore. In order to maintain unbroken vistas upon approach and entry into the plot, the ground plan had to be recessed by at least one floor height, according to the architectural concept that developed. This implied that a ramp that would hug the terrain until a level plateau was formed to support the constructed mass would be the only way to reach the house.
The home and its activities have been compared to a “jenga” block play. Overlaying each other are two volumes. The additional design and functional requirements that must be met are further created by shifting one volume. The lower volume is designed as a solid concrete box at the entry that opens up towards the valley side, resembling a mass growing from the ground plan. The main bedroom, servant quarters, and the more communal areas of the house, such as eating and living, are located in this volume.
The stairway that leads to the four similar bedroom suites can be accommodated by the shift in the top volume. This volume’s green local stone design aims to blend perfectly with its surroundings. The balcony that runs the length of the four bedrooms is shielded from the elements by the brise soleil, or screen, on the south façade. The screen’s north-facing aspect shields the verandah and offers the required seclusion from the plot’s entrance. The spacious verandah that borders the pool and jacuzzi is accessible from the living area. The outdoor dining area next to the pool is located on the bigger, lower volume block.
This block houses utilities such as a filtration plant and generator. This volume has to “shift” outward and sideways in order to generate the required overhang for weather protection because the south façade of the created form confronts both the south and the worst of the weather. The “Shift” House is a minimal, barefaced, transparent experience situated in a setting of existential and dislocated geometry.
