Akkalkot, a town in the Solapur district of Maharashtra, is characterized by its dense urban neighborhoods. The residence sits on a compact 825-square-foot plot, measuring just 25 feet by 33 feet. These neighborhoods feature traditional vernacular courtyard house design built using exposed black basalt stone and bricks. These homes often incorporate central open-to-sky courtyards and thick common walls that provide insulation from the harsh climate. Our design draws direct inspiration from this local architectural vernacular.
Editor’s Note: Situated in Maharashtra, this compact 825 sq. ft residence draws inspiration from local vernacular architecture. This house stands as a reflection of old memories through traditional courtyards, and skylights while emphasizing openness and natural ventilation. Incorporating teak finishes, breathable facades, and a minimal material palette of Kota stone, exposed concrete, and brick, the house stands as a dialogue with the past. ~ Anusha Sridhar
This Courtyard House Design Draws Inspiration From Vernacular Architecture | A Threshold
This house, situated within its traditional historical context, reconnects the client with cherished memories from their childhood and fulfils their present-day needs. Moreover, clients desired to recreate the experience and memories of their old, traditional open-air courtyard house.
Additionally, they wanted the common areas like seating, eating, and cooking to have fewer walls and open directly onto the courtyards. This would allow everyday family activities, social interactions, and gatherings to occur in the open-air setting.
The context of the house is in an older neighborhood, which means the clients’ many relatives and friends who live nearby could be easily entertained in this home.
The building seamlessly integrates into Akkalkot’s historic old town. Given the harsh summers reaching 45-47°C, we incorporated climate-responsive techniques.
Perforated brick screens and planter buffers wrap the house, mitigating intense heat and blocking direct sunlight from the main areas. However, the house’s materiality and contextual design seamlessly integrate with the neighboring historic structures.
Access is limited to a narrow pedestrian path,. Thus, enhancing the home’s harmonious blend with its surroundings. Our design approach aims to respectfully and sensitively respond to the strong contextual character of the immediate environment.
The living, dining, and kitchen are more open, facing the landscaped courtyard covered with skylight, which draws the natural light throughout the house because of the dense neighborhood surroundings.
The open living, dining, and kitchen areas face the landscaped courtyard covered by a skylight. Moreover, this allows natural light to permeate the house, compensating for the dense surrounding neighborhood.
The sleek, teak-clad metal staircase connects the house to the first floor, which contains two bedrooms – one to the southeast and one to the southwest.
Both bedrooms face south, with a perforated brick screen and landscaping as a buffer from the harsh southern sun while also providing privacy from the neighboring houses nearby.
The exposed brick perforated screen creates a unique, green façade that is a climate-responsive, functional design solution for the harsh regional climate. Moreover, this breathable façade attracts birds, squirrels, butterflies, and other wildlife, adding visual interest and character from the outside.
A spiral staircase rises from a small family area, connecting it to a second-floor garden and a master bedroom. The master bedroom features a small, clerestory roof that draws natural light from all four sides, creating a shaft for air to circulate
The bedrooms feature floor-to-ceiling louvered teak wood shuttered windows and doors that visually connect them to the internal courtyards. These operable louvered shutters draw cool breezes from the courtyards into the bedrooms. Thus, increasing cross-ventilation throughout the house and keeping the internal microclimate cool.
Additionally, the teak finish adds warmth to the overall house design. The material palette is intentionally minimal, featuring salvaged and refurbished teak-finished windows from the client’s previous home, mirror-finished Kota stone flooring, exposed concrete ceilings, and an exposed brick perforated screen along the sides.
Fact File
Designed by: A Threshold
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: A Dialogue with the Past House
Location: Akkalkot, Maharashtra
Year Built: 2024
Project Size: 2250 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Avinash Ankalge & Harshith Nayak
Photograph Courtesy: Atik Bheda
Structural Consultants: Rays Consulting Engineers
Structural Consultant: C. Ramkumar
Civil Contractor: Ashok Yengure
Source: Archdaily
Firm’s Instagram Link: A Threshold
For Similar Projects >> A Climate Responsive Courtyard House In Kerala With An Earthy Palette And Natural Materials
In the vibrant town of Kannur, Kerala, the contemporary house design of this residence is more than a home—it’s a sanctuary designed to nurture both body and soul. Built for a family of five, it blends minimalist elegance with everyday comfort, creating a space that feels alive, welcoming, and deeply connected to nature. Editor’s Note: […]
True to its name, Retreat Home by Neogenesis+Studi0261 is a getaway home to escape the frenzied hustle and bustle of city life. A holiday home to a diamond merchant in Surat, this elemental yet contemporary house has been designed to embrace extended families, making room for warm interactions as it seamlessly connects the indoors with […]
The one-acre site of Saukhya Farm is nestled in the lush valley of Beze Village, on the outskirts of Nashik. Surrounded by small farms, it offers sweeping views of Beze Dam and the surrounding hills. The clients’ brief was to transform the site into a farmhouse and to cultivate part of it into an orchard. Work […]
Nestled on the bustling Karnavati Road in Ahmedabad, this modern residence spans over a 10,881 sq. ft. corner plot, seamlessly integrating form, function, and tranquility. The house is thoughtfully planned in an L-shaped configuration of this house design, with its entry oriented to the east and a lush garden strategically placed in the southwest corner […]
In the heart of a dense urban fabric lies this conscientiously designed three-storeyed residence ‘VILAS’ in a plot of 1700 sq. ft. for a multi-generational family catering and navigating the requirements and ensuring their dreams come to reality. This three-storey house design is carefully crafted cuboid with interesting solids and voids, creating peripheral balconies and […]
Designing a home is not just about creating a space—it’s about crafting an experience that reflects the personality of its inhabitants while balancing aesthetics with functionality and sustainability. This contemporary, a private residential bungalow house located in Ahmedabad, India, stands as a testament to that philosophy. Designed for a family of four, the space merges […]
This contemporary exterior house design is nestled behind the vibrant pulse of a bustling hospital. This residence, spread across 6250 sq.ft., unveils a captivating fusion of timeless charm and contemporary elegance, veiled by an intricate jali screen. As you traverse the gates, you are welcomed into an entrance that artfully intertwines cultural motifs with the […]
When does a house become a home? What can a house do more than just provide shelter? Does the feeling of a space rely on tangible elements (furniture, decor, etc.)? Or is the feeling of a space defined by the intangible (light, volume, wind, etc.)? These tangible and intangible inquiries into this house architecture design—the […]
This Modern Mud House in a vulnerable ecosystem had to be a breathing edifice, born of the earth, slowly ebbing into the soil. Birds fly and make homes in lands far away. Vedanthangal is a chosen land for migratory birds. The untouched vegetation and aquatic plants maintain the bird sanctuary in Vedanthangal as one of […]
Situated on a 7-cent site, this modern architecture house in Coimbatore offers a utilitarian lifestyle while combining form and function. It is a hidden treasure nestled in the colorful tapestry of Coimbatore’s urban sprawl. With Central Jaali and Dynamic Lighting, the House’s Stunning Elevation shines with its richly textured wall and the exquisitely designed screen. […]