Back To Basics Retreat In The Sahyadris

To do justice to an impeccable precinct, Khosla Associates craft inconspicuous architecture that curtails creation and shelter to its minimal basics.

- Khosla Associates and Shriti Das

The Himalayas crown India in the north and continue to frame parts of the northeast. Where the Himalayas cease to exist, the blue seas start and wrap its way from the eastern till western coasts. While each region boasts of vividly disparate bio-diversities, seldom merge the best of the sweet and saline waters, mountains and landscapes like the Western Ghats. Be it strenuous trekking, leisurely drives by the sea or short day and weekend trips; the Sahyadris or the Western Ghats offer impeccable backdrops.

So when Khosla Associates were approached to build on a plot that abetted the backwaters of Pawna Lake and was framed by the mountain ranges of the Sahyadris, it seemed only pragmatic to let the site take precedence. The residence is stripped to its basic function of shelter and protection. The architecture on a subconscious level operates on the Japanese principle of ‘Austerity’. Austerity within the Japanese concept of design entails elimination till design is condensed to basics. Not to be confused with simplicity, the lack of ornamentation. Simplicity is achieved with superior workmanship and details that take away the need for superficial finishes. Austerity focuses upon clarity by means of omission till nothing remains to be taken away. Hence, while the plot measures 2 acres or 87,120 square feet, the architects chose to create a single storied retreat on 65 feet x 110 feet rectangular plinth.