KDND studio stacks and shifts volumes in indian residence

mumbai-based KDND studio stacked volumes like it would jenga blocks, to create the shift house, a project that integrates aesthetically into its surroundings in maharashtra, india. the house is designed to respond to the site and more importantly, not be invasive, but to merge into the terrain. the design strategy evolved by ensuring that the site was level so as not to interrupt the views from any direction. by shifting the volumes, the designers created both functional requirements and aesthetic coherence for the residence.  

all images © photographix | sebastian zachariah

KDND studio’s project is placed amidst uninterrupted views of the unesco-recognized mountain range of the western ghats, and a man-made lake. the designer’s approach on the north side of the plot was to create a ramp to access the house. the ramp snakes into the land’s contour until it reaches a flat plateau that accommodates the house. 

the lower volume is conceived as a mass growing from the earth and materialized as a concrete box. the volume is solid at the entrance and gradually opens up towards the valley side. the lower level hosts the home’s social areas such as the dining and living rooms. this level also includes the master suite and service area. 

the shift in the upper volume allows for the accommodation of the staircase leading to the four identical bedroom suites. designed in green local stone, the facade is meant to camouflage with its surroundings. the brise soleil, or the screen on the south façade, protects the balcony which stretches along the four bedrooms. the north-facing screen protects the porch and provides the necessary privacy.

the living room accesses the large verandah, the swimming pool and jacuzzi. the lower volume, the larger block of the two, has the outdoor dining area adjacent to the pool. utilities like generator, filtration plant etc are accommodated below this block. since the south façade of the built form faces the south but also the brunt of weather, it was necessary for this volume to ‘shift’ outward and sideways to create the necessary overhang for protection for weather. the ‘shift’ house, is an existential and displaced geometry set in the surrounding with a minimal, barefaced and transparent experience. 

project info:

design: KDND studio llp – partners: anand menon, shobhan kothari & kiran kapadia 

completion year: may,2019

area: 6500 sqft 

location: aambey valley, lonavala, maharashtra.

photography:  photographix | sebastian zachariah

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: cristina gomez | designboom