Aikya House by Studio Integrate

The brief was to design a 3 bedroom villa on a 10,000 sq. ft. plot, located on a sloping terrain on the outskirts of Lonavala. Given the beauty of the natural surroundings, the client desired a home with transparency and a strong connection to the landscape. The design intent was to keep the ground coverage of the building as minimum as possible while giving more importance to nature.

The ground floor houses the living, dining, and kitchen areas along with the parent's bedroom and a verandah towards the front garden. The first floor houses 2 bedrooms segregated by a play area in between. Each space has its unique connection to the outdoors, which encourages a lifestyle that connects to the natural elements.

A visually enticing double-height space right at the entrance of the home extends the volume of the house vertically. Locally sourced stone is being used to clad this volume, which houses the living room. This living space opens up to a swimming pool on one side and a verandah and dining area on the other, making this a perfect space for a large gathering. The pool deck extends to an open bar that merges into the landscape. The verandah is shaded by a cantilevered exposed concrete box which houses a bedroom on the first floor.