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
For Similar Project >>> House of Silhouettes Reflects Contemporary Modern Architecture
This contemporary courtyard house is designed within constraints that often give rise to the most creative solutions. This residence, nestled in a landlocked plot flanked by development on three sides, represents a unique architectural intervention that turns limitation into opportunity. The client’s vision was both unusual and ambitious: to create a twin house under one […]
This multi generational home is a testament to the ability of the design practice to blend aesthetic appeal with practical functionality. Keeping environmental sustainability and the welfare of the community at the forefront, Bhowal designed a home that was truly ahead of its time. His visionary approach and the Design Consortium’s expertise in providing a […]
In this modern luxury home, courtyards spill into living spaces, and the lines between inside and outside dissolve into a seamless whole. This 17,800 sq. ft. bungalow in Anand, by Hiren Patel Architects, blurs the boundaries between landscape, architecture, and interiors, creating a home where nature isn’t just the backdrop but an integral part of […]
Nestled in the foothills of the Shivalik range, the Himalayas is our latest project, Ekasham — a private residence refurbishment and redevelopment project, spread across an area of 2177 sqm. The monolithic home, through its volumes, composed of old and new structures, merges into a singular silhouette evoking the presence of a monolith from which […]
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 […]
“Vishram Vaadi Nu Ghar” means a serene retreat amidst mango and chikoo farms, crafted to reflect the client’s vision in their mother tongue Gujarati. Vishram is a serene ground-touch structure offering breathtaking views of the Purna River and is a thoughtful example of countryside house design. Nestled amidst lush Amba and Chikoo Vaadi, the design […]
This single-story sustainable home in Ezhupunna blends traditional Kerala architecture with tropical, eco-friendly design. Inspired by the “kullakadavu” concept, a central pond encourages family interaction while enhancing the landscape. This Ezhupunna Home is Rooted in Eco-friendly Design | Judson Associates Architects & Interiors Despite being near lakes and beaches, adding a pond improves year-round moisture […]
In the heart of New Anjar, a small town tucked into the arid landscape of Kachchh, Gujarat, sits one of those modest houses designed with a quiet sense of clarity. Built for a Muslim family spanning three generations, the home isn’t trying to make a bold statement from its street-facing façade. Instead, it leans into […]
The house showcases a modern three-story residence exemplifying contemporary architectural design through its clean lines, geometric volumes, and a balanced interplay of materials. The facade skillfully combines textured tile cladding, smooth plaster, and contrasting color blocks in neutral shades of gray, black, and earthy rust, adding visual depth and dynamism. Expansive glass panels framed in […]
House of Silhouettes is located in Navratan, Udaipur. The plot is a corner one facing north and west 60’x40′ with a built-up area of 6500 sq.ft., designed in contemporary modern architecture as an independent house at three levels, including terrace. House of Silhouettes Reflects Contemporary Modern Architecture | Shaunak Singh and Associates This contemporary residence […]