House Overlooking Lake

Pune, India

Photo © Ariel Huber

Architects: _OPOLIS

Year: 2009

A 1800 sft weekend home on the idyllic site overlooking a lake on the northwards sloping site in Kamshet in interior Maharashtra. The brief demanded a simple functional weekend house i.e. one that was filled with light, was economical and was very easy to maintain. The house is located along the contours and one approaches the house from above - hence the roofscape is very important- and the house emerging from the landscape was critical. The wind driven rains in this region can be vicious and come in at steep angles in the monsoon. The house oriented itself such that the roof opened to the leeward side (north) while protected itself from the fury of the south west monsoon by leaning into the windward side. The program is abstracted into two flanks- The public spaces- living, dining and kitchen in one part and two bedrooms along with the small study in a separate wing. Both these wings meet at a point where the house celebrates water and is the entrance area to the house. Sunken courtyard lends a sense of arrival and creates a micro-climate for the living and dining spaces. The bedrooms are intentionally kept small- to promote use of common spaces and become mainly places to retire to. All furniture is built up with kadappa stone to help keep the project cost under control.