House by the RIVER
Situated by a meandering waterbody in Karjat, Maharastra, in this home by Mumbai-based firm, Architecture BRIO the simplicity of the layout celebrates both the design and the surroundings
Afew hours away from Mumbai, a mountainous landscape rises up, called the Western Ghats. From this UNESCO world heritage area, numerous rivers and streams find their way down through an undulating landscape eventually feeding into the Mumbai bay. The Riparian House is placed just below the top of a hillock at the foot-hills of the Ghats. The best part? The top of a vegetated roof merges with the top of the hillock, hiding the house from the approach on the east side. We designed it such that inside the house one can enjoy views to the north of the Irshalgad hill fortress and towards the west the sunset while the river winds its way across the fields.
Since most of the site is a steep slope with a 1:4 gradient, the vegetated roof gives the house
an additional usable area. So, from the top it seems to be an extension of the natural landscape, enhancing the understatedness of the house. The green cover serves to keep the house below cool due to its insulation properties.
Along the central axis of the house landscaped steps lead you along a coarse stone wall towards the pool deck. A second set of steps connects to the main level of the house where the axis culminates via the dining room and kitchen into a light filled courtyard. Here, we ensured that the experience of being inside the earth is enhanced by the stone boulders, which were discovered during the excavation process.
The kitchen occupies a central position along with the open to sky courtyard and is flanked on either side by two bedrooms at the far ends. These spaces are embedded in the earth with windows, our idea was to bring in ample light from above and the river side.
A master bedroom, bathroom, dining and living area sit along the front, a more open face of the house. Both the living room in the western corner of the house and the master bedroom in the northern corner enjoy panoramic views of the river.
Galvanised steel mullioned windows break down the scale of the front façade of the house. We placed a rhythmic row of bamboo poles at close intervals in front of the house to create a layer of privacy without obstructing the spectacular view of the river and the mountains beyond. The bamboo enclosure creates a dialogue between the interior and the dramatically
changing landscape. The natural landscape changes from a dense green, jungle-like forest during the monsoons, to a pale brown shrubby wasteland during the dry and hot summer months. The plantation of drought-tolerant fountain grasses mitigates this transition to a dry landscape, while also relating to the riparian landscape that exists along the river. The building has to respond to these extreme conditions by allowing enough shade and breeze during the summer and providing a waterproof indoor environment during the stormy monsoons. The screen of bamboos creates an ever-changing pattern of light and shadow throughout the seasons and times of the day, making the building a ‘sensor’ of light.
The walls are built in Indian limestone in a coarse pattern, which gives the house an appearance of rising from the ground. This is contrasted by the lightness of a suspended timber deck verandah, which surrounds the house on three sides. The covered verandahs allow for comfortably ventilated and shaded semi-indoor spaces. Internally the timber floor continues as a border around various patterned natural stone floors. In front of the living room the deck extends to form a large outdoor deck with a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.