Located in Khopoli, in Maharashtra, India (a region that fluctuates between extreme dry heat and monsoon season), a weekend house is perched on the edge of a rocky basalt cliff, with views of the hills in the distance. Made of what architects Sanjeev Panjabi and Sangeeta Merchant of Spasm Design Architects call "liquid stone" (concrete mixed with local basalt stone), the rectilinear structure features "large, bright spaces and dark intimate passages, a place to observe the spectacle of nature." Panjabi and Merchant, who met at the Academy of Architecture in Mumbai and established their firm in 1995, "seek to uplift the human spirit," as they say. "We're always looking for the 'this feels right' moment in our architectural designs."
Photographs by Sebastian Zachariah via Arch Daily.
Above: The house overlooks the Sahyadri mountains; "the concrete mixed with basalt connects it with its mountainous site, located at the start of the western ghats, or highlands," the architects say.
Above: A cantilevered overhang creates a sheltered outdoor space with a hanging daybed.
Above: "A cliffhanger pool frames the hills and a giant entry overhang creates a shaded space for outdoor living, capturing the breezes that come over the hill," according to the architects.
Above: The living and dining area is located between the building's two wings and can be closed off with blinds.
Above: The bedroom offers panoramic views of the surrounding countryside.
Above: A bathroom is partially open to the outdoors.
Above: A black matte stone stairway.
Above: A courtyard of stone dissolves into the distance.
Above: A slatted wood entry gate.
Want to explore more of India? See Housing For Elephants, and Their People. Or take shelter from monsoon's in Mumbai's Artistic Café in a Converted Barn, featured on Remodelista.