UDAIPUR, RAJASTHAN

Construction Area: 700sqm

Capacity: living (formal+family), four bedrooms, outdoor lounges, swimming pool, health spa, restaurant, party deck

The mountain house intends to re-define rock-cut architecture in its entirety. The project is situated at the tip of hill in a remote village named vadra near udaipur city. The new private villa has been carefully sited amid the natural rugged setting, prioritising the spectacular twilight views.

The site is accessed from the east with a steep sloped curvilinear road that leads to a drop-off to the villa over a plateau. On arrival, one sees nothing but a 8m high watch tower dipped in a gigantic water pool. The entrance is hidden behind the tower with the downward access to the villa.

The design uses the natural contours of the mountain to create two levels downwards the plateau level; living space at (-)4m and bedroom floor (-)8m. The entire house is embedded 6m inside the mountain core.

The main entrance downwards, takes directly to the heart of the villa with formal living, library, dining, cellar and a fireplace. The curve is oriented to respond to contours to the west, with exceptional views of the setting sun over heaps of mountains.

The journey though the villa is from opaque to open, reflecting the different levels of privacy throughout & the design seeks to blur boundaries between the outside and inside spaces.