This weekend home provides a natural escape to a family used to city sights. Rustic interiors and an airy courtyard-layout distinguishes this Panchgani pad.
A weekend retreat in Maharashtra, this house is located at the base of the beautiful tableland in verdant Panchgani. It stands in the midst of Godavali village, surrounded by plots on all sides.
Due to this topography and surrounding construction sprawl, a conscious effort was made to design an inward looking plan for the house. A traditionally-inspired courtyard and a swimming pool form the centre of the house. The sloping roof emulates the slope of the hill in the background. “The earthy exterior of the house tries to merge with the village landscape, reflecting the respect and appreciation that the owner has for the surroundings,” states the team from the Pune-based Ketan Kurwalkar + Sonali Dahotre Architects.
A play of levels in the interiors creates different volumes and helps conjure up spaces that are engaging and individualistic. All the finishes, right from the flooring to the ceiling, have been left raw-edged to bring in a drastic change from the daily/routine polished spaces that the owners are used to experiencing in a city like Mumbai.
During winters, the fog comes in through the courtyard and floods all the living spaces, making one greatly appreciate the calm, cool climes of Panchgani. “On a starry or a full-moon night, the courtyard space, with its swimming pool, becomes less a space and more an experience,” states the team. “It can help create cherished memories.”
