LONAVALA WEEKEND RETREAT
Lonavala, Pune — 2022
The Walkthrough
A monsoon-country retreat near lonavala lake where the landscape does the least possible — protecting the existing hillside and letting the Sahyadris remain the design.
THE BRIEF
A monsoon-country retreat meant for complete disconnection. The clients wanted a home that felt deeply rooted in the Western Ghats, functioning as an outpost for nature rather than an isolated fortress against it.
THE SITE
A hillside above lonavala lake, already beautiful. The most important drawings for this project were the ones showing what we would not touch — the rock outcrops, the seasonal stream, the grassland that turns gold after the rains.
THE CHALLENGES
Developing the plot without disturbing the delicate micro-ecosystem. Heavy rains in the Sahyadris can turn minor earthworks into major erosion events, meaning traditional, heavy civil machinery was out of the question.
THE SOLUTION
We drew a tight domestic zone around the house — a modest lawn, a fire court, a kitchen garden — and left the remaining acre to the hillside, managed rather than designed. The seasonal stream got a small crossing, not a culvert. In the monsoon, the property's best feature is everything we left alone.
When we sit on the veranda during the monsoon, we feel like we are part of the mountain. It's the ultimate escape.
— P. Deshmukh, Lonavala
MORE LANDSCAPE WORK
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PANDHARPUR BUNGLOW LANDSCAPING
Pandharpur, Pune — 2023
RESIDENTIAL LANDSCAPESTerraced gardens that follow the hill's own contours — every existing tree kept, every retaining wall dry-stacked from stone found on site.
PUNE TERRACE GARDEN
Pune, Pune — 2024
TERRACE LANDSCAPESA twelfth-floor terrace turned into a monsoon-proof garden room — lightweight, wind-wise and alive through every season.