Excerpt: Rock House – weekend villa, designed by The Grid Architects, is an intimate weekend home birthed from the desire to be one with nature. The built-form is articulated as a modest single-storey two-bay structure whose one-foot-thick stone walls retain the material’s original raw form both inside and outside. The floor-to-ceiling glazing strengthens the home’s connection with nature. The internal programme tries to balance spaces for solitude and congregation, sound and silence.
Project Description
[Text as submitted by architect] This small, intimate weekend home situated near Ahmedabad is birthed from the desire to be one with nature. It has been shaped and worked by locals’ hands using local materials — especially Dhrangadhdra stone. About three-quarters of the plot has been left largely undisturbed while building this ecologically sensitive accommodation.
The built-form is articulated as a modest single-storey two-bay structure whose one-foot-thick stone walls retain the material’s original raw form both inside and outside. The floor-to-ceiling glazing strengthens the home’s connection with nature. The internal programme tries to balance spaces for solitude and congregation, sound and silence. The layout comprises two staggered bays — one for common spaces, and the other for the bedroom — connected by a small passage.
This orchestration allows the main spaces to remain open on at least two sides, capitalising on the surroundings. The interiors reflect the owner’s affinity to nature and simplicity, and meticulous attention to detail. Simple, need-based furniture and décor are tied together by earthy colours and organic materials such as reclaimed jute. The key to this project was to build a home around nature rather than weaving nature into a home.
Drawings
Images
