This house in Malavli, India, features walls made from local Kotah stone and a glazed, subterranean courtyard (+ slideshow).

Called Gomati, the house is located between Mumbai and Pune in the Indian state of Maharashtra.
It was designed by Mumbai studio Spasm Design, which previously created another house in the region using concrete mixed with local basalt stone.

An existing 20-year-old bungalow that had become structurally compromised was removed to make way for the new property, providing the owners with a weekend home that includes rooms for staff.

The rubble from the demolished building was used to form a mound from which the house emerges.
The main living areas are situated in a pavilion-like upper storey that perches on top of the sloping garden to ensure it enjoys the best views of the site's mature trees.
The lower floor accommodates the bedrooms, which are kept cool by the surrounding earth and protected from the tropical downpours that are common in this part of the country.

Two large courtyard gardens punctuate the plan and connect the two levels vertically, enhancing the sense of contact with nature, air, and the changing light and weather.

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"The spatial construct makes the occupation of this home about the elements," Spasm Design told Dezeen. "The changes in light intensity are palpable, as is the mood of the rain, whether gen...