Serendipity brings together fast construction methods, but with the inherent traditional approach toward the placement of built forms over the land. More than the built forms, this project cherishes the holistic practice of building on the soft strata of layered land formation of the central Himalayas.
Project Name: Serendipity, Ranikhet
Completion Year: 2022
Studio Name: IDIEQ (International Design Imagineering and Environmental Quorum)
Studio Website: www.idieq.com
Firm Location: Haldwani, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India – 263139
Gross Built Area: 5200ft2
Project Location: Ama Stays and Trails Serendipity, Serendipity Farm Village, Sakhola, Near Chillianaula, Ranikhet, Uttrakhand, India 263645
Program / Use / Building Function: Boutique homestay and Villa
Principal Architect: Saubhagya
Design Team: Priya Srivastava
Photo Credits: Avni ( www.talkingstills.com)
The situation here is not like some volcanically formed mountains that have a much stronger binding and heavy earthquake-bearing capacity with overlapping layers of lava. Himalayas are formed by this huge South Asian chunk pressing in the central ridgeline where many non-monolithic landmass chunks are sandwiched in numerous layers for the past 40 million years. This is the main reason for such rich flora/fauna & diversity in soil/rock patterns.
Locally known as ‘Bakhuli’, traditional settlements on the hills were placed linearly to avoid damage to the slopes. Also, there was a minimal requirement for digging. More spaces are also generated with less labor. This methodology also reduces the cost, carbon footprint, and costs of retention walls. Prevailing forces are also damaged to a minimum even if extensive construction is done.
The owners wanted to capture the northern view of the valley and snow-capped peaks from every nook and corner once they entered the house. However, they wanted to maintain full privacy from the access road on the south. Full-length transparent glass is the primary material used towards the north to permit fascinating views. Stone, traditionally used in the central Himalayan region, covers the southern facade helping mitigate the greenhouse effect generated through the skylights.
To avoid cutting and filling, the whole project was split into smaller units and annexed as multiple buildings. Spreading out these spaces across the site became an opportunity for creating various shapes while keeping natural contours and trails intact. These in turn helped to introduce multiplicity in materials throughout. The traditional ‘Bakhuli’ of the Kumaoni architecture is emulated here. Instead of removing the protruding natural rocks, they were kept as part of the interiors. Preserving the natural slopes throughout the land helped provide 200KL of rainwater harvesting system with ease.
The smaller units invite subtle colors, minimal language, and the use of compelling shapes. Unlike the owner’s residence, the units and dining areas use quite a few materials, and the scale makes these look younger and more happening. The units are effervescent with modern interiors. The dining area is an Idyllic glass pavilion with a thatched roof since it was essential to build lighter on the specific contour. Also, the roots of plants would take time to propagate fully, which are supposed to support the slopes. Similarly, the octagonal units are thatched as well. The A frame is prefab and cuts itself sitting exactly over the natural contours. The transformed cubes on the easternmost part of the property jut out from the hills and float over the valley. The project is like the same old linear settlement, but with modern-looking built blocks.
Cement, being economically viable has taken over the building industry completely. However, it has not been sufficiently researched for such soft-scraped landscapes. The practices, majorly on the use of concrete/RCC from the non-mountainous region of urban India are picked up majorly without any modification. That’s why we are looking at a frequent loss of infrastructure and lives, even when it rains heavily. Since India is going to be the largest population in the world this year, urbanization in the Himalayas is at its peak, and the reverse migration of the large population toward the hills is inevitable. The building industry has grown two folds after the pandemic because of a major rise in tourism and work-from-mountains culture. The homestay part of this project is also designed to serve the same purpose.
The great architect Laurie Baker admired the traditional construction technologies in the central Himalayas. He lived in the region and documented this research of generations, for 17 years before changing the modern construction practices across India. This project joins these holistic methods to modern forms.
