Reva is a farmhouse 35 km from Nagpur, designed for a retired couple who undertook the Narmada Parikrama–a 2,500 km pilgrimage on foot. What began as a request for a container home became an inquiry into how one might hold onto a memory, not in photos or souvenirs, but through space. “They imagined a house of bricks as a tangible memory of their journey—a place where, years later, their granddaughter might ask, ‘What was it like?’ and the space would help her relive it.”

This House Of Bricks Is A Journey Of Nostalgia And Memories | Kathaakar Atelier

From Vision to Structure

The design of this house of bricks began with a single envisioned moment: perhaps on their final day, the woman sits in the front, gently tossing stones into the river. The man sits opposite, calm and restful. And in between them, the river–still, as if pausing with them. That visual became the house.

The Front: Expressive and Alive

“The designers split the home into two symbolic halves.” The front is expressive and dynamic, shaped by her energy–she was the one who brought the river into their lives and led most of the design decisions. The rear is restful and grounded, shaped by him–disciplined, quiet, and measured.

Between them flows an invisible parikrama–a ritual walk back and forth–etched into the earth using stones found during excavation. The Narmada, unlike most rivers in central India, flows east to west. So does this path.

The couple stopped 200 km short of completing their pilgrimage. In the house of bricks, the river takes a pause in the foyer–the heart of the structure-before flowing out again. The architecture rests with them, even as the journey continues.

Framing the Sunset

“On a 5,000 sq. ft east-facing plot with a 9-meter road to the east, the architects tilted the house 15° clockwise to orient the entry northeast and frame the setting sun through a rear brick vault.” That vault opens to a distant tree, allowing for a daily lean-back moment with the sunset.

Three Trees Shape the Home’s Internal Language

Three trees shape the home’s internal language. “A proximity vault frames one at close range, where the tree almost enters the space. Another appears through a large arched opening in the first-floor bedroom—perfect for slow mornings with tea.” Together, they create three different conversations between nature and stillness.

Reva is built with exposed 9-inch terracotta brick walls, brick vaults, and RCC filler slabs embedded with terracotta pots. The construction of the house of bricks reveals an honest palette–every joint, layer, and surface carrying the raw tactility of its making.

Passive Cooling Through Design Elements

“Mild steel railings and a custom jaali with handmade terracotta pots shield the southern façade, filtering harsh sun and dry winds. In peak summer, when temperatures exceed 45°C, thick walls and shaded verandahs passively cool the interiors by 4–5°C.”

Breathable Design and Structural Integrity

A perforated brick jaali along the central sitting space further enhances cross–ventilation through the Venturi effect, allowing air to move gently through the structure. The house breathes quietly–its material logic inseparable from its emotional one. No carving or chasing was done after casting; all services were embedded during construction, ensuring long-term integrity and an uncluttered finish.

Warmth of Memory Woven into the Home

Inside, the home carries the warmth of memory. Curtains throughout are stitched from the client’s heirloom saris–woven fragments of personal history that catch the light and soften the rawness of brick. Stones unearthed during excavation now line the landscape, forming the metaphorical riverbed that flows across the site. Veneer and teak wood appear selectively across furniture, anchoring moments of rest with natural familiarity.

Character

The spatial character of Reva encourages slower living. Most seating is built into the architecture itself–along plinths, under arches, beneath windows–so that the act of sitting becomes part of the structure’s rhythm.

Spaces unfold through subtle thresholds: an enclosed courtyard, a shaded verandah, a quiet corner that holds the light differently at every hour. Each frame–whether of sky, tree, or brick–echoes the sensibility of the couple’s journey, where stillness and movement coexist.

The house’s orientation and materiality are deeply rooted in the realities of its place. It sits lightly on the land, respecting its climate and topography. Prevailing winds from the south and southwest move diagonally through the plan, while the east-facing entrance welcomes morning light.

Monsoon rain, nearly 1,000 mm each year, gathers softly in shallow contours along the stone path–briefly turning the ground into a reflective surface, like a memory resurfacing.

While it is a cozy, intimate space for two, it also serves as a family home–and occasionally opens itself to over a hundred pilgrims, gathered in quiet conversation. The architecture accommodates both solitude and congregation, both ritual and rest.

Reva is not just a house. It is a living memory–an architectural expression designed to let the story outlive its characters.

Fact File

Designed by: Kathaakar Atelier

Project Type: Farmhouse + Community Interaction Space

Project Name: Reva

Location: Nagpur, Maharashtra

Year Built: 2025

Built-up Area: 1700 Sq.ft

Project Cost: 60 Lakhs

Principal Architect: Ar. Sanket Wakharkar

Junior Architect: Ar. Nayan Tajane

Trainee Architect: Shreyash Hingwe

Photograph Courtesy: Sarang Joshi & Mohan Manian

Firm’s Instagram Link: Kathaakar Atelier

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