Screenwriter and director Megha Ramaswamy approached Fractal Chaos to design an organic home as a weekend retreat in Pasli Gaon, Velhe—a village about 150 km from Pune. The site is located between the Deccan Plateau and the Western Ghats, which gives it a unique ecology with 4 seasons. Drawn to the land by a bordering stream, Megha envisioned a retreat deeply attuned to its natural surroundings.
Editor’s Note: “Nestled between the Deccan Plateau and the Western Ghats, in this weekend retreat, the built blends seamlessly with the wild. Using local stone, filtered light, and mindful plantings, the design evokes an organic echo of land, season, and soul. Moreover, here, a writer’s dream is carefully held in architecture’s embrace.” ~ Anusha Sridhar
This Retreat in Velhe Shows How Organic Homes Connect Deeply with Nature | Fractal Chaos
The site, largely open grassland with 30% existing plantation, was to be further densified into a forest. Though there was an option for fast-growing plantation model, we chose a more organic approach—inspired by the existing ecology, requiring less maintenance and manure.
We integrated native hardwoods with Megha’s love for flowering plants and shrubs, arranging them in a grid that mimics nature’s rhythmic irregularity.
The grassland was left untouched, and the forest grid was planted on half the site, creating a layered journey: approaching the house through a young forest, with open views into the preserved grassland beyond.
The retreat was planned in two phases—the first being a writer’s cottage, followed by the main house. The cottage sits just beyond the forest, near the center of the plot, intentionally distanced from the future main house. It offers solitude and quiet, ideal for writing and retreat.
A defining feature of the cottage is its loft, designed to accommodate an extra bed for visiting friends. The compact ground floor includes a bedroom that doubles as a daybed, a small kitchenette with a fridge and wash area, and a toilet with a bath and WC. Surrounding the cottage on three sides, spacious verandahs extend the living space outdoors.
The cottage was designed with careful attention to climate and orientation. Stone walls and extended roof overhangs shield the interiors from harsh southwest and west sun, while small openings on the west wall maintain a visual connection to the landscape and allow for cross ventilation.
The main window opens to the east, framing a striking view of what Megha affectionately calls the “twin flame tree”—two intertwined trees. The built of the loft above creates a double height space above bedroom/living are, also offering views of the surrounding landscape at the loft level.
The constraint for the project was to design within limited budget and resources, considering upgradation of finishes later. We chose local basalt stone as the main material for walls lined with bricks on the ends that prevent need for dressed stones.
The masons carefully arranged yellow-tinged basalt stones with the natural grey basalt texture. Mangalore tiles and steel came from Pune. Initially, the idea was to reuse discarded Mangalore tiles from the village. However, this approach did not ensure a waterproof surface for the roof.
The spiral staircase railing uses leftover steel, chosen because curving and transporting a pre-made railing to the site proved unmanageable. Overall selection of technology and materials was dependent on what was feasible and easy to make on site.
Fact File
Designed by: Fractal Chaos
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: Writer’s Cottage
Location: Pasli, Velhe, Maharashtra
Year Built: 2025
Duration of the project: 6 Months
Built-up Area: 800 Sq.ft
Principal Architect: Ar. Rajlaxmi Teli
Team Design Credits: Siddhant Kochhar & Atharva Naik
Photograph Courtesy: architectural_captures
Firm’s Website Link: Fractal Chaos
Firm’s Instagram Link: Fractal Chaos
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