Ishaar is rooted in the belief that architecture should not just be seen, but deeply felt. Drawing from brutalist principles and natural tactility, the holiday villa is designed as a sensory retreat, where material, sound, light, and temperature shape the guest’s experience. Set amidst rural farmland, the villa dissolves into its landscape through a choreography of raw textures, immersive transitions, and quiet moments of reflection. Every space invites slowness—replacing spectacle with presence, and function with feeling.
Ishaar was conceived as a brutalist staycation retreat that merges raw materiality with immersive spatial experience. Anchored in the cornfields of Vijayawada, the design explores how architecture can create emotion through contrast—hard and soft, open and enclosed, light and shadow. Every element—from the sunken pool lounge to the misted dining deck—was imagined to slow the visitor down and connect them to space through touch, sound, and atmosphere.
Editor’s Note: Ishaar is a place where time slows down and the senses come alive. It invites you to pause, feel, and just be. Every corner is designed to bring calm, comfort, and quiet joy. It’s not about luxury, it’s about feeling at home, in nature, and with yourself. ~Isha Bora
Ishaar, a Holiday Villa is Rooted in Brutalist Tactility and Calm | Addy’s studio
The entry to Ishaar marks a spatial threshold where the outside world begins to dissolve and the experience of retreat quietly unfolds. A sharply angled corten steel gate stands as a sculptural element—bold yet elemental—its weathered patina blending seamlessly into the agrarian landscape.
Framed by walls finished in grey lime-washed plaster, the composition is intentionally raw and unfinished, evoking the material honesty of brutalism while grounding the visitor in the earth-toned context of the site. As one passes through the gate, the sound of cascading water becomes audible—originating from a fountain that gently drops into a sunken swimming pool.
The path ahead aligns precisely with this visual axis, placing the movement of water directly at eye level, creating a visceral connection between entry, sound, and space. This moment is not merely functional—it is ceremonial, designed to mark the transition from chaos to calm, from urban tension to immersive stillness.
Set against the backdrop of the villa’s raw, monolithic form, the sunken pool becomes a central sensory feature—the water fountain aligning with the approach axis, offering a calm visual plane from the moment of arrival.
Adjacent to the pool, a recessed lounge invites pause and reflection, while the expansive lawn beyond unfolds into an open event stage, seamlessly merging leisure with celebration.
The villa’s presence remains quietly bold—anchoring the composition with its brutalist lines, earthy textures, and deep visual connections across water, stone, and sky.
The villa at Ishaar is a low-slung, linear structure that subtly anchors itself into the surrounding landscape. Designed with a restrained brutalist vocabulary, the villa features earth-toned lime-washed walls, corten steel accents, and green Kota stone flooring. Together, they establish a raw yet refined palette. This materiality mirrors the agrarian textures beyond. Internally, the villa unfolds as a sequence of sensory experiences, defined more by atmosphere than form.
A glass-framed living room opens out to the preserved trees at the rear, allowing the landscape to visually and emotionally extend into the interiors. Above, cloud-like pendant lights animate the ceiling, creating a surreal softness against the villa’s otherwise grounded mass.
Every space blurs the line between inside and out. It offers moments of openness, intimacy, and reflection throughout the day and night.
The plan houses three bedrooms, including a master suite with an indoor plunge pool and rainfall shower, veiled by a planted canopy.
The backyard at Ishaar is an intimate yet multifunctional retreat. Leisure, dining, and quiet contemplation unfold beneath open skies. The design preserves three existing trees and anchors them as a central visual feature. A full-length glass wall from the living room frames the space. This allows the indoors to seamlessly dissolve into the greens beyond.
At its heart sits a 12-seater dining table under a mist-sprinkled canopy. It offers a cool, shaded space for communal meals in the heat of day. To one side, a campfire zone becomes the evening’s anchor—providing warmth, glow, and gathering potential.
Nearby, a children’s play area is subtly integrated into the landscape. It ensures visibility and safety without compromising the natural rhythm of the space. Natural stone flooring and ambient rock lighting maintain material continuity. The surrounding plantation creates a buffer of calm, making the backyard both a visual pause and a social heart of the villa.
Positioned at the intersection of comfort and celebration, the lounge room, event stage, and expansive lawn at Ishaar come together effortlessly. They form a seamless indoor-outdoor axis that encourages connection and flow. This space hosts both quiet leisure and large gatherings with ease.
The lounge room, enclosed yet visually open, features warm material tones and a billiards table. A fully equipped bar counter adds to the experience, offering a relaxed, shaded vantage point. Framed by glazing, it looks directly onto the open-air stage. This allows guests—especially VIPs or older family members—to enjoy performances or ceremonies in comfort and privacy.
The stage, set amidst thick plantation and stone-finished edges, becomes a striking focal point. It hosts events like sangeet nights, cocktail parties, and open-air dinners.
The lawn, flowing gently around it, accommodates up to 300 guests. Natural lighting and rock-edge illumination create a magical atmosphere as day transitions into night. Together, the trio creates a flexible, celebratory zone—rooted in landscape and elevated by design.
Fact File
Designed by: Addy’s studio
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Ishaar, the staycation
Location: Vijayawada
Year Built: 2025
Duration of the project: 2024-2025
Project Size: 2700 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Ar. Adarsh Akula
Photograph Courtesy: Ar. Adarsh Akula
Firm’s Website Link: Addy’s studio
Firm’s Instagram Link: Addy’s studio
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