A Home Outside Hyderabad That’s One with Nature

A quiet village on the outskirts of Hyderabad became the site of this striking modernist weekend home by 23 Degrees Design Shift

When a family approached 23 Degrees Design Shift to design their weekend home, the brief was a little out of the ordinary. The extended family unit encompasses two brothers who run their family’s business operations, plus their parents, spouses and children, leading to a detailed set of considerations. ‘While we understood the spatial needs of all three generations, we asked them to narrate their inspirations and aspirations,’ says 23DDS partner and co-founder Srikanth Reddy. ‘This helped us understand what a weekend home should offer them, both in its physical and emotional existence.

The result is a space that manages to be many things to many people but still forms a cohesive whole. Grape vines along the driveway came from the brothers’ childhood memory their family vineyard, while an ATV mud track and sports net were requests from the younger generation. ‘What was common was their need for a home that brings the entire family together while offering individual moments of pause,’ says Reddy. ‘Everyone wanted spaces that are emotionally resonant, connected to nature and provided a sense of calm.’

Located near one of the family’s businesses, the home, christened Antriya, was set to be used more frequently than the average weekender. ‘We had to design it practically for regular use, while also keeping the essence of a getaway home,’ Reddy notes. The two-hectare site is long and narrow, with minimal vegetation except a sacred fig tree. A long, curving driveway bisects the plot, which is used for recreation as much as setting, and low stone walls block the view of the home until the visitor is close. The landscaping by Kiasma Studio also introduces desert palm trees and Bougainvillaea, which connect to the family’s experiences of the Mediterranean.

Built in the western half of the block, the home is designed using three continuous stone walls providing what Reddy describes as a sense of direction, sense of privacy and sense of cosiness through their relative scale. ‘A unique aspect is how the three walls have been used as structuring devices,’ he says. ‘And the waterbody surrounding the house gives it an illusion of floating above the water.’ The wall on the north side with an abutting floating pathway starts off at the drop-off, directing visitors to the semi-open veranda space and offering privacy to the pool on its other side. A raised pathway to the entry provides a cue to the raised structure, which ‘floats’ on a cantilevered plinth above the water surrounding the house and is home to fish and plants. 

The second stone wall bifurcates common areas such as living-dining verandas and the kitchen from private bedroom spaces. A cantilevered overhang runs throughout, with glazing below and a clerestory above. The deep overhangs shade the glazing systems, reducing the heat gain and providing uninterrupted views. Greenery above the overhang is seen through all the clearstory windows, bringing dramatic light and shadows.

Within, a light grey lime plaster predominates, blending with the natural landscape. The three main walls are built with local Khammam brown sandstone, chosen for its rough and porous nature, which allows creepers to grow, while the flooring is Markapuram slate, ‘which has a lovely texture that invites you to walk barefoot’, notes Reddy. 

‘When I think of the way the house incorporates the elements of nature — light, air, earth, water and sky — with the built part, that’s my favourite aspect,’ says Reddy. ‘For me, the essence of Antriya is a space to reflect and become one with nature.’

Text by Philip Annetta
Images by Shamanth Patil