Sarthak ranade 35

DESIGN INTENT

The design revolves around the idea of creating routes and clusters in a random order, through which a habitable space zone is formed. This allows for closeness and neighbor-to-neighbor relationships to develop. The main route leads to the nursery, and then branches inward through the in-between gaps of the clusters, where the paths narrow and form private spaces. Every in-between cluster gap has a farm, which serves as the source of plants for the nursery. The bedroom spaces have glass walls through which the farm view extends into the room, creating a feeling as if the greenery is merging with the interior. The verandah space and balcony reflect the 45 types of houses from Makunsar village.

I started by adding pergolas throughout the space and creating routes that lead to them, allowing people to walk around and sit at the ends of these paths, where a pergola offers a view of either the nursery or the forest. Initially, the arrangement followed a strict grid pattern, which didn’t reflect the organic nature of a village or the concept of a forest and nursery. It lacked the natural, flowing character I was aiming for.

As the design evolved, I assigned each cluster its own farm, a verandah, and an outdoor seating area. The pathways ran between the individual housing units with farms, creating a sense of movement and connection throughout the space. The forest served as an overarching boundary element, enclosing the entire site and reinforcing the natural context of the design.

At this stage, the routes were neither geometric nor were the clusters arranged in an organized manner. That’s why I adopted a similar format of routing and cluster arrangement as seen in the village. The main routes pass through the gaps between the clusters, making them accessible to the people within, while also creating private spaces. The cluster arrangement is done randomly, inspired by the organic layout of a village.

In this plan, several small details have been added. Since the concept revolves around a nursery and forest, elements like scattered plants and stones have been placed randomly to create a natural forest-like feel. A hanging nursery, which also functions as a roof, has been introduced.

In the first iteration, the nursery acted as a gateway through which people could walk, viewing different plants before entering the cluster. However, its span was small and the form was rigid, offering only a single path. In the second iteration, the nursery evolved—now featuring seating areas, planted roofs, and improved walkways.

FINAL PLAN