Houzz Tour: An Alibaug Home Defies The Norm With its Edges
The asymmetrical design of this contemporary retreat incorporates courtyards, decks and verandahs to maximise its views of the valley beyond
Located in Alibaug, near Mumbai, this house is part of a pair that belongs to one owner. Architect Arjun Malik and his team at Malik Architecture were tasked with the tricky job of designing both residences that were connected, yet they each had to have a distinct identity. One house is situated on top of a hill, while this one is at a lower elevation. “The specific vocabulary of the first house could not be continued into this one as that was developed for an apex location,” explains Malik.
Through careful planning and skilled civil engineering, he conceptualised this contemporary holiday home to have its own identifiable and unique character, one that worked in harmony with its surroundings. Strategically placed courtyards, decks and verandahs throughout the house maximise on the panoramic views, while drawing in natural light and ventilation into the deeper recesses of the home.
Through careful planning and skilled civil engineering, he conceptualised this contemporary holiday home to have its own identifiable and unique character, one that worked in harmony with its surroundings. Strategically placed courtyards, decks and verandahs throughout the house maximise on the panoramic views, while drawing in natural light and ventilation into the deeper recesses of the home.
Another key element the architect had to consider was the orientation of this home. With one perched atop a hill to maximise the view of the sea, this lower one needed to be constructed to work cohesively with the upper house without interrupting any views, as it also positioned itself to enjoy those same sights. “The residence, made of concrete and stone, was thus conceived as a submerged subterranean structure,” explains Malik.
The exterior design is asymmetrical and with many edges. It is based on clever architectural planning that maximises on volume and natural light. For instance, cantilevered portions push the volume of the house outwards to get the best views. To create such a structure, it was important for the architect to understand how to interconnect the spaces in such a way that light and ventilation seeped into every nook of the home.
Malik achieves this through a large C-shaped courtyard. He says, “This courtyard branches inwards to form smaller courts which bring light and the south-west breeze into spaces burrowed deeper in the house. These punctuated voids are expressed at the roof garden level as canyons of light that perforate the space at night.”
Read more about courtyards that mesmerise
Malik achieves this through a large C-shaped courtyard. He says, “This courtyard branches inwards to form smaller courts which bring light and the south-west breeze into spaces burrowed deeper in the house. These punctuated voids are expressed at the roof garden level as canyons of light that perforate the space at night.”
Read more about courtyards that mesmerise
The house does not have a definite entry or exit and further breaks convention in terms of the location of its primary entrance. Malik says that the main entrance to the house is in fact from the roof.
“This was where we constructed a linear veil of stone to ensure privacy except through strategic openings in the wall,” he adds. “Residual masonry from the site was filled into expanded mesh baskets which were stacked to create a gabion wall. We deliberately picked a flexible mesh that allowed the baskets to gently warp as the stones settled, creating the impression of a gradually undulating fabric rather than a rigid wall in certain light conditions.”
“This was where we constructed a linear veil of stone to ensure privacy except through strategic openings in the wall,” he adds. “Residual masonry from the site was filled into expanded mesh baskets which were stacked to create a gabion wall. We deliberately picked a flexible mesh that allowed the baskets to gently warp as the stones settled, creating the impression of a gradually undulating fabric rather than a rigid wall in certain light conditions.”
Split over two levels, the public spaces, such as the living, dining, entertainment room, den and kitchen are located on the entry floor. While on the lower level, all the bedrooms and the bathrooms are organised around the pool and garden.
Cantilever decks and open walkways give the otherwise submerged home an open and airy sense.
“The house is designed in such a way,” says Malik, “that one can access the network of interconnected spaces across both levels through stairs or a sloped grass berm that extends from the dining and kitchen garden to the master bedroom’s verandah below.”
Live on the Edge With Cantilevered Design
“The house is designed in such a way,” says Malik, “that one can access the network of interconnected spaces across both levels through stairs or a sloped grass berm that extends from the dining and kitchen garden to the master bedroom’s verandah below.”
Live on the Edge With Cantilevered Design
The interiors are a labyrinth of spaces that are visually connected and seamlessly interact, creating a multitude of volumes, angles and unexpected views.
The layout is determined by a number of factors, says Malik, a significant one being the weather. Alibaug is characterised by high temperatures reaching up to 38° C in the summer and also receives heavy monsoon showers. Although the best views of the sea lie towards the south-west, this is also the spot where the sun is the harshest and where the monsoon winds comes with heavy, tropical rain. Therefore, the spaces are designed to be accessible throughout the year from the semi-open decks and verandahs. Malik explains, “Deep verandahs and shaded spaces are an intrinsic part of tropical architecture. But instead of adhering to a rigid arrangement of semi-outdoor spaces, we have allowed them to develop organically, either laterally or longitudinally alongside living and sleeping areas, based on the orientation and courtyard interfaces.”
The layout is determined by a number of factors, says Malik, a significant one being the weather. Alibaug is characterised by high temperatures reaching up to 38° C in the summer and also receives heavy monsoon showers. Although the best views of the sea lie towards the south-west, this is also the spot where the sun is the harshest and where the monsoon winds comes with heavy, tropical rain. Therefore, the spaces are designed to be accessible throughout the year from the semi-open decks and verandahs. Malik explains, “Deep verandahs and shaded spaces are an intrinsic part of tropical architecture. But instead of adhering to a rigid arrangement of semi-outdoor spaces, we have allowed them to develop organically, either laterally or longitudinally alongside living and sleeping areas, based on the orientation and courtyard interfaces.”
To combat the rising temperatures of the summer, Malik constructed parallel walls, almost like a second skin, to work as buffers against the extreme climate. “The shaded network of spaces within creates a comfortable micro climate that stays anywhere between 2 to 5 degrees below the ambient temperature,” he adds. The glazed areas have also been positioned based on the views and orientation to maximise cross-ventilation. They open into deep shaded spaces or submerged courtyards, which keep the house naturally ventilated all year round.
The living room stays mostly bathed in warm sunlight that accentuates the rugged walls. Furniture and accessories are kept to a minimum so that the focus stays on the outside views and on the play of natural light.
The living room stays mostly bathed in warm sunlight that accentuates the rugged walls. Furniture and accessories are kept to a minimum so that the focus stays on the outside views and on the play of natural light.
The views are a major achievement for the architect as he had to ensure panoramic sights from the various decks without interrupting the line of sight of the upper house.
The bedrooms are linked to the bathrooms through transitional courtyards. The master suite is connected to the children’s bedroom and opens to a verandah with its own private garden.
The house is designed in a way that it minimises its visual footprint and mass, while catering to the significant area requirements. For instance, rainwater is harvested from the roof garden and courtyards and directed towards a network of short bores which are used to charge the existing wells on the site.
All retaining walls, except for one, have been constructed using the locally available black trap stone, most of which have been recycled from the excavation and from excised areas of the existing retaining wall.
All retaining walls, except for one, have been constructed using the locally available black trap stone, most of which have been recycled from the excavation and from excised areas of the existing retaining wall.
The main courtyard permeates through the subterranean areas of the house, while its wide front includes an infinity pool that overlooks a bamboo grove and the valley. From the floating deck on the entry floor, the pool’s edge visually merges with the background of the Arabian sea.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: An Ahmedabad Home Uses Nature to Combat Climate
Houzz Tour: A House of Courtyards
Tell us:
What makes this house unique? Share your views in Comments below.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: An Ahmedabad Home Uses Nature to Combat Climate
Houzz Tour: A House of Courtyards
Tell us:
What makes this house unique? Share your views in Comments below.
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Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Alibaug, Maharashtra
Year built: 2014
Size: 21,600 square feet built-up area (2006.7 square metres)
Architectural design team: Arjun Malik, Jiger Mehta and Suzanna Machado of Malik Architecture
Photos by Bharath Ramamrutham
This house, built at a lower elevation, is a gift from a father to his children. As it was commissioned after the upper house was already underway, it posed quite a design conundrum for the architect. “When we were told about the second home, we decided to notionally connect the two by extending the ground plate of the upper house onto the roof of the one below as a garden,” explains Malik.