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Architecture

2015

Photographer : Ariel Huber

Not a long drive away from Mumbai, a mountainous landscape rises, 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 Bombay Bay.

The Riparian House is placed just below the top of a hillock at the foothills of the Ghats. The top of a vegetated roof merges with the top of the hillock, hiding the house from the approach on the east side. Inside the house, one can enjoy the views to the north of the Irshalgad hill fortress and the sunset towards the west while the riv-er winds its way across the agricultural fields.

Since most of the site is steeply sloping with a 1:4 gradient, the vegetated roof gives the house an additional usable area. 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 insulative properties.

Along the central axis of the house landscaped steps lead you along a coarse stone wall toward the pool deck. The 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. The experience of being inside the earth is enhanced through the stone boulders discovered during the excavation process and retaining the earth.

Karjat,Maharashtra,India

Architects	:	Architecture BRIO
Area	:	3552 sq. ft.
Year	:	2015
Website	:	https://www.instagram.com/architecturebrio/

South west elevation of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

Landscape and swimming pool of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

Landscape view of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

Swimming pool view of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

Master bedroom desk of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

The kitchen occupies a central position along with the open-to-sky courtyard and is flanked on either side by two bedrooms at the two far ends. These spaces are em-bedded in the earth with windows bringing in ample light from above and the riverside. 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.

Kitchen opening to courtyard of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

Kitchen Courtyard with carved steps of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

Galvanized steel mullioned windows break down the scale of the house’s front fa-çade. A rhythmic row of bamboo poles is placed 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 brightly green-colored jungle-like forest during the monsoon months 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 responds to these extreme conditions by allowing enough shade and breeze during the summer and providing a waterproof indoor environment during stormy monsoons. The screen of bamboo creates an ever-changing pattern of light and shadow throughout the sea-sons and times of the day, making the building a ‘sensor’ of light.

Greenery at roof of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

Dusk light view of The Riparian House by Architecture BRIO

The walls are built in Indian limestone in a coarse pattern, which makes the house seem to rise out of the ground giving it a solid base. This is contrasted by the lightness of a suspended timber deck verandah that surrounds the house on three sides. The covered verandahs allow for comfortably ventilated and shaded semi-indoor spaces. Internally the timber floor is continuous 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.