nitin gupta villa,

alibag

SITE:

The plot is approximately one acre located in a compound of weekend homes. Located near the coastal town of Alibag, East of South Mumbai and most easily accessible by boat from Mumbai, the area is a favorite getaway from the urban confine of Mumbai city. The site is located at the base of hills, part of the Sahyadri range, and has a seasonal stream that runs through the site that creates a depression in the site.

The hilly backdrop creates a beautiful panorama that the villa enjoys.

 

PROGRAM:

The project calls for a weekend villa for a multi-generational family. The project will feature multiple suites for extended family and friends along with multiple spaces for gathering and entertainment within the house and in the sprawling garden space.

 

CONCEPT:

The seasonal stream and the panoramic views of the hills filtered through an outcropping of trees created a point of departure for understanding the site and locating the building mass on the site. The site has a significant depression towards the North and then it tapers up to the hills. We decided to create three major site levels – The approach courtyards and main garden level, the sunken courtyard level at the north and the stepped garden on the far side of the stream.

The architectural mass navigates the seam between these levels and becomes an element for navigation between the different levels on the site. The architectural mass therefore emerges in plan as three wings that opens out to the different gardens and terraces. The interior space modulates in height and scale from the public areas to the private areas and there is an effort to create spaces for discussion, habitation and celebration from the individual to the extended family scale.

 

The various rooms project into or cantilever over the garden terraces and allow residents to experience views of the hills and gardens framed within multiple points of view. Gardens and terraces, while integral to the overall landscape, have distinctive design sensibilities serving as extensions of the various rooms that they are attached to and have varying degrees of privacy based on the function of the room.

 

MATERIALITY:

The project is constructed with a typical RCC frame and slab system. The site has several retaining walls that are constructed in stone masonry with RCC support. Infill walls are created with lightweight cement blocks. The primary finish materials are glass, wood and natural stone. Apostrophe A+uD has designed major interior casework and lighting and many of the furniture elements.