The year was 2018—a splendid Friday evening in New York, a bar, paper napkins and two junior architects! House by the Lake’s initial blueprint was hand-sketched on a piece of paper napkin by (the then) fresh graduates Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani (and now) founders of kaviar:collaborative. “Kasturi’s parents had just purchased this lovely plot of land and were on the lookout to hire a professional architectural firm. When we heard about this, we were sure we did not want to let go of this opportunity,” shares the duo.
The House by the Lake (HBTL) is a residential bungalow located in Kamshet, Maharashtra and spreads across a whopping 10,000 sq ft. The homeowners (Kasturi’s family) are a family of five—the parents and their three kids. ‘House by the Lake’ is their dream second home. “It’s been 10 years in the making—5 years of scouting for the right parcel of land and 5 years of construction. They were closely involved in each stage of the project and held the process of building this home very close to their hearts. Escaping from the hustle bustle of the city and reconnecting with the peace and serenity of the outdoors was their main aim for building this house,” shares Kasturi.
First of many, HBTL is the duo’s maiden architectural project where the site and context played a prominent source of inspiration. Just visualize being surrounded by the lake and flourishing greenery on the three sides of the building, away from the conundrums of everyday life. Isn’t this paradise on earth! Thus, it became very important for the designers to take full advantage of the splendid outdoors and opt for a fairly minimal aesthetic for the interiors.
The entrance is engineered in a way that purposely prohibits the visitor’s view of the lake beyond, only giving them a small glimpse of the water body through minimal fenestrations and courtyards. Upon entering through the door, the visitor is greeted by courtyards on two sides and a couple of steps leading to the entrance foyer and the vast spectacle of the lake and neighboring greens—a deliberate attempt by the designers to ‘stage’ the view and create a theatrical first reveal.
Two large stone clad walls on either side extend into the green lawn towards the lake forming the perfect vista. From herein, the lake keeps the visitor company as one moves to the other spaces of the house. With a double height glass facade, the entrance foyer acts as the central uniting element of the house. To the right, through an opening in a stone clad, an open layout features the living area, bar, library and TV room. Moving towards the left from the entrance foyer brings one into the dining and kitchen space.
Functionality takes centerstage in the design scheme for the kitchen. An all-black theme with hints of wooden textures has been opted for the space. The breakfast table is a reclaimed piece of wood converted to a live edge table. Similarly, to tie the kitchen and dining areas together, the large 12-seater live edge dining table too has been created using two different reclaimed pieces of wood fixed together.
With a total of 6 highly utilitarian bedrooms, HBTL is peppered with sleek furniture pieces, rugs and full height floor to ceiling curtains, lending a lyrical mood to the space. Apart from the generic area a house consists of, HBTL also features an outdoor pool in the open foyer space that can be accessed through the stairs. “A glass door through the central facade under the stairs opens out to the large full size swimming pool and jacuzzi, reveals Vineet.
The hero of HBTL is the sheer volume of the space that the designers Kasturi and Vineet have played beautifully with. Amidst adding elements of awe and surprise every step of the way, the duo has given a lot of thought into designing a space that does justice to its stunning natural attributes. Case in point, designing a sloping roof volumetrically aids the cause by subconsciously drawing the occupant’s vision gradually towards the lake. No matter where one stands in the bungalow, your eyes end up gazing at the lake and the ripples!
FACT FILE
Name of the project – House by the Lake
Area: 930 sq metres or 10,000 sqft
Location: Kamshet, Maharashtra
Name of the design firm– kaviar:collaborative
Design team and designation– Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani – Principal Architects and Partners at kaviar:collaborative
Photography Credits: studio suryan//dang