The Farmhouse

We firmly believe that Architecture is a true amalgamation of Art, Nature and Culture. The project is a Farmhouse for a Multi - generation Family from Mumbai. Located near Ramteck village which is about 100 kms from Nagpur City, the site is sprawling across a 30,000 sq. ft land sitting amidst a 150-acre organic farmland. The house is uniquely designed with distinct characteristics influenced from Spanish architecture blending in with artistic and organic Indian vernacular features.

The entrance of the house is from the East side which delivers a good morning sunlight and a view of the courtyard. The peripheral walkway around the farm house, engulfs the courtyard & the house which would be used as an interactive space for gatherings with the farm workers to engage, train and promote organic farming methods, making it a common space & boundary wall. The courtyard is a symmetrical garden with local stepping stones and home-grown existing trees that we tried to retain.
The house and the walkway encompassing it, has sloping roofs finished in Mangalore clay tiles, procured directly from the pioneer of clay tiles in Mangalore. The front elevation consists of 12 pillars roofing the front porch and decks to exemplify scale and symmetry. Cast iron ornamented railings feature all the balconies giving the elevation drama and grandeur. The exterior of the building is finished in stone pattern stucco in the colour of the sand found locally so the house blends in its surroundings.
Two gazebos are designed along the north and south sides of the walkway in the centre. The south acts as an entrance to the courtyard and the north side consists of an open barbeque station which leads to the swimming pool on the North side.
The pool is an open-air swimming pool finished in small handmade Spanish blue tiles bordering it with blue and white printed tiles. The pool side is finished in anti-skid rough finish terracotta tiles with pool beds and outdoor swings around. A large handmade lion fountain is installed on the longer end of the pool. The pool in the evening is lit up with optical fibre lights giving it a sky bed of stars effect after dark.

The entrance from the east side opens up in a double height entrance porch which gives an impression of large scale and a massive open chandelier enhancing the height and drawing attention to the visible sloping roof from the inside. The main door is a hand crafted and carved solid wood door with itched glass design.
The porch blends in with a long corridor space leading to other areas of the ground floor. Once you enter the house, one can’t miss the handmade heritage cement tile individually hand-crafted to form geometric and traditional motives in terracotta, cream and white palette.
What is interesting to note, is the same colour palate in inverse is used on the walkway outside representing the inside outside concept.
The corridor is a confluence of typical Spanish & Indian style with exposed teak wood beams paired with open pending lighting in wrought iron & white trowelled walls.
The corridor opens up into the family room which is a 24’ double height area with enormous fenestrations bringing in a beautiful golden hour sunset light and calm indirect morning light.
The living room also opens up to an outdoor deck making it a larger space for spill out. The deck is finished in wood finish planks in tiles with outdoor furniture from Loomcraft. As the clients love to host it will be suited for large gatherings to open up the windows on east and west side. The large stone finish veneer TV wall which accentuates the height of the wall which is aesthetically derived from large fire spaces in mid-century Spanish homes. The seating consists of Italian crafted lounge on one side and a 10-seater artisanal carved wood dining table on the other. The antique fans sourced from Anemos suspending 12’ from the ceiling adds a vintage look to the space.
The North end of the ground floor corridor leads to the guest bedroom & kitchen and whereas the south end leads to the Staircase and a Bedroom. The staircase adds an opulent Spanish feature with printed & terracotta tiles and ornamented cast iron railing.
The corridor on the first floor is identical in location and design to the ground floor just overlooking the porch on the east side and the family room on the west. The wood beams travel from the living room ceiling in to the corridor space tying it all together.
The master bedrooms located in the north and south directions of the house are planned like hotel stays with baggage rack, tea-coffee and study stations with ample natural light, minimal & modern furniture & jute blinds adding sheer shading to the space. The bedrooms are designed keeping cross ventilation and a panoramic view of the plantations around. The rooms contain massive floor space so that the cream and blue heritage cement motive tiles lend character to the ambience. The master bathrooms are planned with conventional bath tubs to rejuvenate with the pleasing view of the lush greenery.
The guest bedrooms are cosy, smaller scale with bathroom and balcony facing the west view of the estate. The terrace level is an open space with all the outdoor units provisioned in a specific corner along with water tank and solar panels. The terrace is a vantage point for the ranch and the small villages in the vicinity.
Lighting holds a very dynamic approach to our design; solar generated lights illuminate the walkway and the entrance porch after dark. The exterior lights are designed to focus on the scale of the house but not lighting up the terrace level to maintain privacy and the peace for the animals in the neighbourhood. The interior lights are custom made in ornamented wrought iron lanterns, sconces, and chandeliers with exposed bulbs which dress up the spaces.