Houzz Tours
This Multi-Pavilion Celebrity Home Fits Together Like a Jigsaw
Separate master, kids’, guest & living blocks make filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's holiday home by Studio PKA a king-sized experience
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and family
Location: Pavana, Maharashtra
Year built: 2017
Size: 950 square metres (10,226 square feet); 5 bedrooms; 5 bathrooms
Architectural designer: Puran Kumar of Studio PKA
Photos by Amit Pasricha
Gently enveloped between the Sahyadri mountain range and undulating open land, lies this earth-rooted family abode.
“The structure is reminiscent of the forts on the horizon, and revels in its ability to become one with the land,” says Puran Kumar, founder and principal architect of Studio PKA. “It was designed as a weekend retreat for a well-known film industry personality and his family, to serve as a reprieve from their bustling city life. In this vein, we ventured out in search of a tract of land that would not only capture the essence of the place but also inspire, delight and satiate their creative endeavours.”
Who lives here: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and family
Location: Pavana, Maharashtra
Year built: 2017
Size: 950 square metres (10,226 square feet); 5 bedrooms; 5 bathrooms
Architectural designer: Puran Kumar of Studio PKA
Photos by Amit Pasricha
Gently enveloped between the Sahyadri mountain range and undulating open land, lies this earth-rooted family abode.
“The structure is reminiscent of the forts on the horizon, and revels in its ability to become one with the land,” says Puran Kumar, founder and principal architect of Studio PKA. “It was designed as a weekend retreat for a well-known film industry personality and his family, to serve as a reprieve from their bustling city life. In this vein, we ventured out in search of a tract of land that would not only capture the essence of the place but also inspire, delight and satiate their creative endeavours.”
The scale and signature of the site inspired Kumar to distil the architectural language into functional blocks, “akin to a jigsaw, with built and unbuilt spaces interlocking to create a whole.”
With a master block, a kids’ block, a living block and a guest block, the multi-structure home is equally geared towards the family’s recreational and professional affinities. Each zone spills out into the central informal realm, housing the aangan (a small courtyard), the swimming pool and the lily pond.
“As a direct response to the site, the altitude and the prevailing climatic conditions, the wind enters through numerous openings and is directed along the two main axes of the site; from the aangan to the entrance, and from the pool to the lily pond,” says Kumar.
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“As a direct response to the site, the altitude and the prevailing climatic conditions, the wind enters through numerous openings and is directed along the two main axes of the site; from the aangan to the entrance, and from the pool to the lily pond,” says Kumar.
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A minimalist palette of Shahabad and Kadappa limestone, sandstone, slate, teak wood, terracotta, exposed brick, cement plaster and mild steel characterises the home’s many facades.
“The palette nods to the site and its surroundings. The house rises and falls, following the lay of the land. Each level responds to the contour, which gives rise to a dynamic and playful mix of risers and landings; a homage to the hills,” says Kumar.
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“The palette nods to the site and its surroundings. The house rises and falls, following the lay of the land. Each level responds to the contour, which gives rise to a dynamic and playful mix of risers and landings; a homage to the hills,” says Kumar.
Find an architect on Houzz to design your dream home
The exterior walls are lightly velveted in wintergreen, mirroring the hues of the earth under the changing sun.
“The walls not only blend in with the landscape, but also give the impression of a mass that has grown and emerged from the land on which it rests,” says Kumar. “The footprint ensures that the site has been altered to a bare minimum. The design tries to embrace the landscape, making it easy to forget where the house ends and the outside begins.”
“The walls not only blend in with the landscape, but also give the impression of a mass that has grown and emerged from the land on which it rests,” says Kumar. “The footprint ensures that the site has been altered to a bare minimum. The design tries to embrace the landscape, making it easy to forget where the house ends and the outside begins.”
The drop off leads to a grass-edged flagstone pathway that guides visitors to the living block, heralded by a gabled entryway.
Paint: Asian Paints
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Paint: Asian Paints
Inspired to landscape your property? Check out these gorgeous exterior decor ideas
Inside, past the foyer, a burnished, vintage-style pendant greets visitors, presiding over a square-cut salon. Windows ornament the wall, mirroring the sloping lines of the roof.
“Following the profile of the roofs, large fenestrations bring in daylight and warmth. The spaces within the house engage in a constant dance of light and shadow. The elements are allowed to enter and can be seen, felt and heard, enticing visitors to pause and fully experience the space,” Kumar says.
“Following the profile of the roofs, large fenestrations bring in daylight and warmth. The spaces within the house engage in a constant dance of light and shadow. The elements are allowed to enter and can be seen, felt and heard, enticing visitors to pause and fully experience the space,” Kumar says.
Beyond the entrance salon lies the living area, its exposed brick and white shell playing into the colours of the surrounding landscape.
“The living area acts as the fulcrum of the house, asserting itself as a welcoming haven, while the remaining three blocks provide privacy and are reserved for retreating or retiring to at night,” says Kumar. “The furniture is an eclectic mix of branded designs and hand-crafted indigenous pieces. They work to provide a sense of colour and vibrancy to the otherwise muted palette.”
With the patio doors perpetually flung open, the swimming pool poses as a constant embellishment to the interior-exterior decor. The semi-enclosed patio is buttressed by pillars, which split the landscape beyond into diminutive rectangular vistas.
The edgeless cantilevered swimming pool, in line with the dam, acts as the tour de force of the exterior architecture.
Living room sofas are custom-made
The edgeless cantilevered swimming pool, in line with the dam, acts as the tour de force of the exterior architecture.
Living room sofas are custom-made
The wilderness of the rough green valley, sinuous silver river and rugged grey mountains is balanced by the earthy serenity of the buildings and the fluid, jewel-like notes of the pool.
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Want a swimming pool but don’t have the space? This guide has you covered
The dining room lies adjacent to the living area, maintaining its own identity while also melding together with the world outside. A rustic rectangular dining table, topped by assorted textured panels, takes centre stage, flanked by earth-toned chairs on one side and a bench on the other.
Dining table and chairs are custom-made
Dining table and chairs are custom-made
A slimline kitchen backdrops the dining area, echoing its earth-like hues while punctuating the aesthetic with a vividly patterned backsplash.
“The kitchen is divided into two parts. The dry kitchen has been conceptualised as a space adjoining the dining area so as to allow the family to cook and eat together, whereas the wet kitchen, while connected to the dry kitchen, forms part of the services zone,” explains Kumar.
A staircase skirts the length of the wall above the kitchen, ushering visitors to an overhead platform allowing an aerial view of the entire setting.
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“The kitchen is divided into two parts. The dry kitchen has been conceptualised as a space adjoining the dining area so as to allow the family to cook and eat together, whereas the wet kitchen, while connected to the dry kitchen, forms part of the services zone,” explains Kumar.
A staircase skirts the length of the wall above the kitchen, ushering visitors to an overhead platform allowing an aerial view of the entire setting.
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Situated on the very edge of the hill, and offering endless vistas of the lake on two sides, is the master block, constituting the master bedroom, an en-suite bathroom, a den and a powder room, the latter two connected via a lofty exposed-brick stairwell.
Master bedroom furnishings are custom-made
Master bedroom furnishings are custom-made
“This was conceived as a home as much for friends as for family. In order to bring about a sense of privacy, the guest block is isolated from the remaining blocks,” says Kumar.
The guest block sits on its own sweep of grass, cocooned by luxuriant shrubbery and highlighted by a flagstone pathway.
The guest block sits on its own sweep of grass, cocooned by luxuriant shrubbery and highlighted by a flagstone pathway.
“The unbuilt open spaces act as natural extensions that convey the duality of space. As the extensions branch out in the form of bridges, the disparate blocks come together, effectively eliminating the sense of distance one would expect to feel in a space of this scale,” says Kumar. His architectural philosophy is enlivened by the aangan, a verdant open courtyard that serves to tie the disparate blocks together.
“It was built as a space for quiet contemplation, invigorating conversations and bringing residents together,” concludes Kumar.
Read more:
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Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.
“It was built as a space for quiet contemplation, invigorating conversations and bringing residents together,” concludes Kumar.
Read more:
Houzz Tour: Actor Irrfan Khan’s Mumbai Home Has an Eclectic Sizzle
A Sneak Peek Into Indian Film Stars’ Bedrooms
Tell us:
What did you like most about this home? Tell us in Comments below.