VACATION HOME, KOTAGIRI

Covering about 4000 sq ft of built area, this vacation home sits perched on the edge of the Nilgiris, from where it gets a view of the plains down below. 

It’s surrounded by tea-estates, with a view of the Bhavani Sagar reservoir by day, and a twinkling townscape by night. Although the client’s initial brief was to build an English-style bungalow here, and though that brief suited the location quite well, we felt more compelled to base our design on the history of these hills that date back to even before the Britishers built their estate houses here. 

The architecture is set in a brutal style, and the interiors echo this, with elements such as wood carvings and traditional motifs inspired by the native tribes of this region. The building essentially hovers above the landscape, creating a bungalow-like floor plate on a single level. It attempts to create an experience for the clients, that is in stark contrast with the urban, busy city life they lead, in which they feel re-connected with nature, and the native roots of this site.