Hermitage Retreat
?We want to go back to nature!? was a simple brief given to us by our esteemed and lively client couple. For them, this was a conscious step to cut off from the urban clutter and experience absolute solitude. Staying true to their brief, our response was an unimposing structure tailor-made for the beautiful serene site. The site is a hillock on the outskirts of the city of Pune, India with panoramic views of the city and mountains.
Photography by © Hemant Patil
The owners of this house who are descendants of one of the aristocratic Maratha families had envisioned a serene precinct which would take them back to their cultural roots and closer to nature when they set out to build this second home. This was our primary reference for designing the house. Pune was a seat of major political activity of the Maratha Empire around the 18th century. The city has various historical and architectural marvels such as hill forts, palaces and residences called ?wadas? which have a distinct architectural style with elaborate stone and brick structures, intricately designed openings, splendid arches and doorways. All this gets reflected in the architecture of this house to fit it aptly in its context. Stone was used on the façade as a response to the visual imagery of the heritage structures in the city while the sloping roof was demanded by the heavy rainfall which this area experiences in the monsoon season.
Photography by © Hemant Patil
The house is a compact com...