Mumbai based Sonal Sancheti and Rahul Gore of _Opolis Architects design a weekend getaway at Khadakvasla near Pune that reminds the viewer of the bond between the built form and the landscape. Altitude, open-ness of the locale and climatic considerations are discerningly catered for, while material use and treatment substantiate the inside-outside equation. The structure is conventional RCC and is clad with local natural basalt. The use of natural daylight, wooden doors and windows, and natural materials helps in connecting the dwelling to nature. Minimum cut and fill during construction of the ‘House on the Ridge’ has resulted in reducing the disturbance to the mountain side and retaining most of the existing trees causing minimum soil erosion and damage.
