Casa Feliz by ADND

The entrance driveway meanders around a dense cluster of existing trees initiates the connect with nature that culminates into a drop off that reveals the front facade of the house. The 20 feet wide metal entrance door set into a punctuated brick facade, redefines scale and acts as a divider between the outside and the inside world. It is this physical threshold that disconnects you from the chaos of the outside world and transcends you into a world of tranquillity. Passing through this portal one feels purged of their non-tangible baggage hence reinforcing the concept of a threshold. 

Considering the offerings by the sheer location of the site, the coast, the weather, the dense landscape, the smell of greens, the pleasant visuals of perennial blooms became the perfect ingredients for a tropical lifestyle and a building approach which is culturally conscious and cohesive to the tropics.

The villa set in the quaint little coastal town of Alibaug to the south of Mumbai is the perfect getaway from the rigmaroles of everyday urban life.. This 10,000 sq.ft contemporary house spreads itself on a 2acre site which is blessed by nature with dense flora and a small water body on its south east. Paying respect to the prevailing flora on site, the master plan takes birth by surrounding the house around the major cluster of trees and a squarish manicured courtyard then becomes the epicentre of the house. This courtyard hosting palms and mounds of green is held by two ‘L’ shaped building blocks. This court provides visuals to the surrounding public spaces and the circulation corridor on its periphery. These two blocks strike a very contrasting visual, one being solid and the other being permeable. The material palette of the house has a monolithic character, the clay bricks bring in the required warmth and the use of metal elements brings in the minimal and contemporary look. Larger than life artefacts and elements like a petrified wood centre table become definitive conversational pieces for the end users and visitors alike. 

The elevated swimming pool edged in dressed stone masonry is detached from the structure by a gravel deck giving it the vibe of a natural oasis. The house focused on making a strong connect with nature, hence blurring the boundaries of the inside outside experience.