The Leaf House, Alibaug by SJK Architects

I came across this rather spectacular house designed by Mumbai based firm, SJK Architects, in Dezeen Magazine and thought it was interesting because its form was so different from the usual straight lined, cuboid shaped houses that I am drawn to and tend to feature on the blog. This house is modern, contemporary and minimal, but its also organic, and so graceful. 

This family home in Alibaug, is divided into 5 individual living spaces that fan out around a central courtyard. Each space is covered by concrete, leaf shaped canopies supported by angled steel columns. The house is nestled in greenery and the beauty of its architecture is that it really celebrates this beautiful setting. 

So as not to outdo the simplicity of the architecture, the interiors are minimal with white walls and polished concrete floors throughout. 

Take a look and tell me what you think.... 

[All Images via Dezeen Magazine]

Khopoli House by SPASM Architects

This amazing hilltop residence in Maharashtra  is designed by SPASM Design Architects. Inspired by the dark tones of the rocky Basalt  this landscape, this concrete house seems to merge seamlessly with its surroundings. In fact it almost looks like an outcrop of hillside rock!

I'm not going into too many details about this beautiful piece of architecture, instead, I'll let the images speak for themselves. However I will say this much... its rare that a house, through both its architecture and interior, captures your attention, and excites you and calms you simultaneously with its almost serene elegance and simplicity.

Take a look...

[All images- Dezeen Magazine]

Real Del Mar House by Gracia Studio

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”-  Leonardo da Vinci

It often seems like a never ending struggle to convince clients to keep things simple. They always seem to be worried about things looking too plain. As a designer, I find this one of the most frustrating things! 

Here is a great example of simplicity in architecture. Love the massing and the form of this structure by Gracia Studio, a firm based out of Mexico. I love the combination of wood, concrete and plaster, and the way this contemporary structure seems to sit so well in its desert surroundings. 

[Images via Gracia Studio]

A Contemporary Home in the land of the Mayans

Its funny how sometimes you're looking for something with a single minded determination, and you chance upon something entirely different, and that something, takes you along a new and expected path. 

Sometimes it may as trivial as looking for a new recipe for ice cream and coming across inspiration for a bedroom or a living room. Or it could be something as life changing as doing research for one of my sites, discovering the world of blogging quite by chance, and getting hooked! Life is quiet funny that way...

Anyway enough of me being philosophical. Here is a beautiful house that I chanced upon while looking for something entirely different- inspiration for a site I'm working on. I was in a bit of a design rut and decided to do some internet research. I wound up finding this lovely home that is so beautifully simple and inspiring. So I'm sharing...

Located in Acanceh,  in Yucatan, Mexico, Hacienda Sac Chich was constructed by Reyes Ríos + Larraín Arquitectos in 2010. The architects seemed to draw inspiration from this region, that is home  to an ancient Mayan archaeological site. 

I love architecture like this- architecture that is simple and uncomplicated and seems to just belong. Architecture that is contextual, elegant, very contemporary and bold in its simplicity.

Hope you enjoy this as much as I did. 

[Images - Home Dsgn & CIIWA ]

The Beaumount House

The other day I was scouring Pinterest, since I had some time on my hands, and I came across this house that just seemed to pop out of the screen of my laptop, because of the way it uses one of my favorite materials- exposed concrete! The first image that I saw of this house was of its double height living room, and it was love at first site- I had to take a closer look. 

Located in a mixed use neighbourhood in Canada, The Beaumount House is designed by Henri Cleinge. To be honest, while I thought the exterior design of the house was ok, I was not 'wowed' by it. But the interiors are a whole other story. Bathed in shafts of filtered sunlight, that seem to dance across the stately exposed concrete walls and polished concrete floors, the interiors of this house are a dream!

The house subtly explores the play of volumes from within and the beautiful relationship that wood and concrete can have when used with balance and sensitivity. I simply love the interplay between, the softness of the simple walnut cabinetry and cedar ceilings, and the hard austereness of uncompromising concrete.

Take a look! 

[All images- I Like Architecture]

Cobogo House

I have a tendency to ‘stalk’ architects and designers whose work I find really inspiring. I once determinedly tried to visit every space designed by one of my favourite Indian architects, Sandeep Khosla. If there was a restaurant or lounge designed by him in the city I was in, I’d drag my friends there.

Another architect whose work I’m a real fan of is Marcio Kogan. He has a knack for creating buildings that are beautiful and minimal. Cobogo House, located in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is another one of Marcio Kogan’s designs that I have fallen in love with. This building has a simple form that appears gracefully elegant, and, as the tropical sunlight bathes the structure, it becomes a fascinating contrast of light and shadow.

What I love about this house is its almost seamless connection to the outdoors. Nature is embraced- indeed it is celebrated through its dialogue with the architecture. One of the elements that encourages this dialogue and forms a defining element of the architecture is a modular screen with hollowed out patterns, a work of art designed by Erwin Hauer. These hollowed-out elements take on different forms with the incidence of the sunlight during the day and artificial light during the night so that the house is continuously changing.

Enjoy the images below.

[Images courtesy ArchDaily]