The Riparian House

IndiaThe roof of this house in India is planted with drought-resistant grass that keeps the home cool through the summer months. Architecture BRIO built this structure with eco-friendly materials such as bamboo, timber planks, coarse limestone masonry, sandblasted river-washed kota stone and exposed concrete. By way of contrast, economic viability is the main obstacle to the pursuit of sustainability in India. With 1.3 billion citizens and a growing economy, the country has experienced rapid demand for infrastructure development and construction.“India is a resource-deficient country; that is the biggest challenge to the promotion of sustainability,” says Vijay Garg, president of Council of Architecture in India. “We are in a state of transition, from being a largely rural country to a largely urban one, with the urban population projected to grow from 20 percent to above 80 percent. Resources for creating a supporting infrastructure are not being generated internally but are being borrowed via long-term loans such as the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in real estate. “Unless the money required is generated by economic growth (thereby reducing the huge costs of borrowing for the end users), adding sustainability in built infrastructure might not get addressed, as it usually ends up increasing overall costs.”Take a full tour of this home

12. Best of Houzz Awards 2019: Announcing the WinnersInterested to know who among the many architects, designers and photographers won the most hearts in 2019 ? Visit the link and check out the full list of winners.Here’s how to earn a Best of Houzz badge in 2020

This photo won Architecture Brio a Best of Houzz Design award.Have more questions? Ask us in the Comments or contact our Support team.

1. Green steps: Near Mumbai, IndiaDesigner: Architecture BRIO

Winner (exterior): Architecture BRIOThe earthy, sprawling structure in the hills paints a lyrical storybook-like picture.

Winner (exterior): Architecture BRIOThis house built in limestone in ‘coarsed’ pattern blends with the countryside, and looks as if it’s rising out of the ground.Know more about this Karjat home

Liked the feeling of touching the sky.