The House Of Bridges

This multi-purpose residential building is located in one of the bustling marketplace areas in the heart of Mahad, a historic town in Raigad district of Maharashtra. Mahad is close to Fort Raigad, the royal seat of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the capital of the Maratha Empire. Such areas come under what is known as gaothan (गावठाण), where, on account of ancient close-knit human habitation, there is hardly any scope for horizontal expansion. Vertical expansion is the only option in so far as new development is concerned.

 The brief for NDDC was to take advantage of the location in the marketplace. It envisaged a large commercial space on the lower level, a semi-public space on the floor immediately above it, and a residential space on the floors above that. Thus, it ensured convenience for commercial activity in the lower part of the building and a comfortable and peaceful stay for the residents occupying the upper part. This also took care of the residents’ need for privacy, ample light, ventilation, and isolation from the hubbub below.

 The terrace, a partially open space with its roof facilitating the installation of solar panels, forms the lungs of this building. While the solar panels enable “green energy” generation, the terrace itself is a place for plentiful greenery that soothes the eye and comforts the soul. Car park has been incorporated within the building.

 The residential part of this building forms the home for a family of six. The brief for NDDC was that there should be a visual connection among all the levels to give the building a homely, homogenous feel. There was complete freedom in the selection of the material, whether natural or machine-made. Hence the feature wall in Gokak stone for the entrance lobby, which equals the height of the building, glass-block bridges connecting the two wings of this building on all the levels, and brick cladding on the external walls with a vertical screen façade to act as an extra barrier to extreme climate.