Nestled in the mountain forests near Kasauli, a small hill town in Himachal Pradesh, the Velmore Resort offers a serene retreat from bustling city life. Kasauli has recently gained popularity among tourists for its scenic beauty and convenient proximity to major cities, making it an ideal destination for vacation seekers and nature enthusiasts.
Editor’s Note: “The Velmore Resort in Kasauli by Studio Vasaka, hints at the amalgamation of modern architecture with the natural landscape. Having a stacked volume with tapered voids, white stucco exteriors, and artfully composed vistas, each guest is treated with a private balcony or open terrace. Thoughtfully designed blocks offer easy mobility and ensure that simple comforts invade the peace of the hills.” ~ Anusha Sridhar
The Velmore Resort In Kasauli Offers A Serene Retreat From Bustling City Life | Studio Vasaka
The resort’s location, away from the town’s hustle and bustle, provides a peaceful haven.
The site, with its challenging topography, is thoughtfully utilized. Moreover, it ensures the structure blends harmoniously with the natural contours without altering the landscape. Surrounded by tall pine trees and offering captivating views of the valley, the resort is a perfect getaway.
The resort’s design accommodates the site’s unique shape and contours by integrating three distinct blocks. Block one houses common facilities such as the reception, administration offices, restaurant and banquet. Guest rooms occupy blocks two and three.
However, these blocks ensure easy access to the common pool deck via lifts and stairways. Furthermore, they are interconnected by a golf cart track. Thus, enhancing convenience and mobility for guests.
A defining feature of The Velmore Resort is its distinctive composition of stacked boxes. Moreover, this series of stacked volumes creates a striking architectural statement, deliberately contrasting with the natural surroundings to establish a unique identity.
The boxes incorporate tapered voids that serve as balconies, providing privacy while maintaining an open connection to the outdoors. These punctuated volumes offer unique inside-out experiences, allowing guests to engage with nature intimately.
Terraces complement the design, visually freeing up space and enhancing interaction between the volumes, voids, and the natural environment. The theme of stacked volumes extends throughout the structure, with bold blocks creating a dynamic interplay between mass and void.
The white exterior stucco is a crucial element, acting as a canvas that enhances the resort’s aesthetic appeal. Furthermore, this color choice strips away visual clutter, making the form feel intentional. Moreover, it allows the building to leverage nature as a key element.
When the distractions are taken away, the building uses nature to its advantage as the third material. Additionally, the white surface beautifully captures the shadows of surrounding trees, which change from dawn to dusk and amplify the play of daylight.
Windows function as portals, connecting the indoor spaces with the natural surroundings and offering curated viewpoints. The design ensures that each space provides a unique perspective on the landscape.
The Velmore Resort, with its sculpted volumes and thoughtful design, confidently sits on the contoured site, creating a beautiful dialogue between architecture and nature. It stands as a testament to the integration of bold design with the serene beauty of the natural world.
Fact FileDesigned by: Studio Vasaka
Project Type: Resort
Project Name: Velmore Resort
Location: Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, India
Year Built: 2024
Built-up Area: 41871 Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Ar. Karan Arora & Ar. Varchasa Duggal
Photograph Courtesy: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj
Firm’s Instagram Link: Studio Vasaka
For Similar Project>>> WHITE FEATHER RESORT DESIGNED AMID NATURAL SCENERY OF MADHUBAN RESERVOIR
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 […]