This exquisite contemporary villa features a unique design based on two rectangular volumes that overlap each other. The house was designed by a studio named Note-D and is located on Alibaug Road In Maharashtra, India. It offers 5,500 square feet of living space and impresses with a design based on spiral geometry.
The architects who were in charge of this unique project decided to place the private living areas on the first floor and the public spaces on the ground floor. There’s also a basement level that comprises the service areas. Since Alibaug is located just a short boat trip away from Mumbai, it is rapidly becoming a favorite residential place for India’s most wealthy individuals. The villa boasts impressive living conditions, including six lavish bedrooms, a swimming pool, beautiful gardens, terraces and a fully equipped kitchen.
Most of the furnishings are made out of natural wood and complement the cold, contemporary appearance of the crisp white walls and generously sized windows. As far as decorations are concerned, natural plants are the most obvious choice as they add a touch of naturalness and help fade the boundaries between the indoor and outdoor areas.
From the architect:
Adapting the courtyard type for a luxury villa in Alibaug.
By manipulating the courtyard i.e. lifting an arm, the transition between indoor and outdoor spaces is blurred, outdoor experience is enhanced and ground coverage is minimised. The resultant spiral geometry of the house provides enclosed, semi enclosed and shaded spaces. The spiral segregates into private areas on first floor (bedrooms), public areas on ground floor and service areas in a semi basement. Programmable outdoor spaces such as the loggia on the mezzanine are injected at regular intervals as you move from public to private around the courtyard, maintaining a visual connection across levels.
The mound protects the house in a flood-prone zone and becomes an extension of the courtyard into the landscape. The faceted vocabulary disguises structural elements and channelizes surface run-off. The windows mirror the foliage outside, none of which was disturbed during construction.
Alibag is fast becoming the destination of choice for the city’s elite. It’s a short boat ride from Mumbai, is surrounded by hills and has vast spaces of open green. Tomoe homes are nestled in a quaint village 10 minutes from the jetty. Their beautiful location and lush surroundings create the perfect setting for a home that is radically designed, easy to maintain and has the ability to invite the outdoors inside. The villas effortlessly contain living areas, a kitchen, six bedrooms, gardens, terraces and a swimming pool. They’re all accessorized with fresh air and lush foliage to block out all traces of hectic city living.
Tomoe homes are sensitive to their Indian context and the local environment. The design is based on a typical Indian courtyard house, which is conducive to tropical weather, especially in terms of light and ventilation. The courtyard house blurs the walls of separation to create a blissful marriage of greenery and stone. The house is raised on one end to offer a completely open ground floor feel. Living and dining areas open out on to 30,000 square feet of landscaped gardens and a pool, the upper level becomes a cocoon for bedrooms, a private lounge and terrace while the mezzanine between the two floors is the perfect setting for a covered outdoor living room. The many indoor and outdoor spaces fuse together to create a seamless living experience.
The location of the pool has been chosen to take advantage of the wind direction in order to naturally cool the house. The pavers on the lawn are environmentally friendly and easy to maintain. The kitchen opens out to a garden to gain instant access to fresh herbs and vegetables. The domestic area is attached to the house, but has its own entrance with access to the kitchen and dining areas.
- Location: Mandva, Raigad, Alibag, Maharashtra – 402201, India
- Architect in Charge: Hemant Purohit, Smita Khanna
- Design Team: Pierre Michael, Sneha Borkar, Bhuvana Selvaraj, Teja Choudhary
- Area: 5500.0 ft2
- Project Year: 2014
- Photographs: Courtesy of Note_D, Tina Nandi
- Consultant: Renu Gupta
- Developer: Sidhant Khanna
- Structural Consultant: Suhas Jadhav (Vastech)
- Sanitary Fixtures: Husain Quettawalla (Bath Studio)
- Contractors: UCT / Sachin Jayesh Gharat / Jivaram Suthar
