mumbai-based KDND studio stacked volumes like it would jenga blocks, to create the shift house, a project that integrates aesthetically into its surroundings in maharashtra, india. the house is designed to respond to the site and more importantly, not be invasive, but to merge into the terrain. the design strategy evolved by ensuring that the site was level so as not to interrupt the views from any direction. by shifting the volumes, the designers created both functional requirements and aesthetic coherence for the residence.  

all images © photographix | sebastian zachariah
 
 
KDND studio?s project is placed amidst uninterrupted views of the unesco-recognized mountain range of the western ghats, and a man-made lake. the designer?s approach on the north side of the plot was to create a ramp to access the house. the ramp snakes into the land?s contour until it reaches a flat plateau that accommodates the house. 
 
 
the lower volume is conceived as a mass growing from the earth and materialized as a concrete box. the volume is solid at the entrance and gradually opens up towards the valley side. the lower level hosts the home?s social areas such as the dining and living rooms. this level also includes the master suite and service area. 

 
 
the shift in the upper volume allows for the accommodation of the staircase leading to the four identical bedroom suites. designed in green local stone, the facade is meant to camouflage with its surroundings. the brise so...