In the quaint village of Khandiya in Gujarat’s Panchmahal district, a vernacular house stands rooted in land, memory, and the promise of change. Sloped tiled roofs, thick lime-plastered walls, earthen floors, and shaded plinths suggest a familiar rural home. Yet this dwelling is a deliberate architectural proposition—challenging the binary of tradition versus progress. Could rural architecture evolve rather than be abandoned? Could modular design bridge the widening gap between India’s transitioning rural communities and the housing being built for them.
A Vernacular House in Gujarat is Introducing Modular Design into Rural Communities | PROJECT TERRA
Designed for a private client, this home is a working prototype—positioned not as a vernacular house revival but as a replicable model. It reclaims spatial and material intelligence embedded in rural practice and updates it to respond to today’s economic, environmental, and social challenges.
India’s villages are in flux—families smaller, landholdings shifting, aspirations shaped by urban exposure. Yet housing often defaults to low-cost RCC boxes that ignore climatic logic or to a boutique “vernacular house” detached from daily realities. The House of Nostalgia occupies the space between. Durable, affordable, and adaptive, it values permanence as much as possibility.
Its design hinges on modularity: three interconnected volumes—a Mangalore-tiled unit with mezzanine loft; an RCC slab module; and a bamboo-reinforced slab for kitchen and services. Two modules are about 40 sq. m., with a 20 sq. m. connecting module.
One of the alternatives is this project with an H-shaped layout and a construction cost of ₹7 lakhs (8000 USD) per module of 40 sqm. This enables phased building—essential in contexts where finances, labour, and land evolve gradually. Modularity here is not a compromise but a strategy—allowing adaptation without losing spatial clarity.
Material choices are local: Stone, brick, lime, bamboo, reclaimed metal sections, and timber sourced nearby. Selected for performance, not sentiment, these materials ensure breathability, thermal comfort, economy, and durability.
Lime keeps interiors cool; dense masonry reduces heat gain; bamboo is lightweight, cost-effective, and abundant. The project resists the rural trend of urban-style concrete homes, which often perform poorly in climate and adaptability, instead proposing a “regional modernity” rooted in geography and local aesthetics.
Its architectural language—thick walls, built-in niches, verandahs—derives from rural logic, regulating heat, organizing space, and fostering social life. The plinth becomes a semi-public edge; the mezzanine, a playful perch; and the semi-open connectors, spaces for pause. Passive cooling is embedded in form, not applied as an afterthought.
Ultimately, the House of Nostalgia is less a building than a framework—a process adaptable to specific geographies. It’s about replicating an approach: using local resources, designing for incremental growth, and reinforcing regional identity through functional, quiet design.
It reframes rural housing as a site of innovation rather than deficiency—suggesting that the future lies not in importing models from elsewhere but in deepening our engagement with place, memory, and modular systems that can carry forward what still works.
Fact File
Designed by: PROJECT TERRA
Project Type: Residential Architecture Design
Project Name: House of Nostalgia
Location: Khandiya, Gujarat
Year Built: 2024
Built-up Area: 1076. Sq.ft
Principal Architects: Rutvi Patel & Jay Patel
Photograph Courtesy: The Space Tracing Company
Project Management: Metric Enterprise
Source: Archdaily
Firm’s Website Link: PROJECT TERRA
Firm’s Instagram Link: PROJECT TERRA
For Similar Project >>> This Residential Home Integrates Elements of Traditional Living in India
The design of Coexistence House is rooted in the philosophy of living in harmony with nature. The site, located in Perungudi—a rapidly urbanising neighbourhood of Chennai—held a unique character with its mature mango and coconut trees, remnants of an older garden deeply tied to the memory of the place. The client’s deep emotional connection to […]
There are countless options when designing a home; each story is distinct to the person who creates it. “When we were asked to craft a home that revolved around the idea of practicality and modern materials, we decided to create a space that felt contemporary and brought in the idea of nature”, says Ar. Saumya […]
In the dense rhythm of Noida, where homes rise in the hustle of chaos and silence is rare, a slender home offers a pause. The land set its own terms — a north-east-facing house orientation, a mandated front garden, and trees that had stood tall long before the first drawings took shape. Instead of overwriting […]
Editor’s note – Rarely do we encounter homes where a strong story and context come together so seamlessly. Studio Bardo takes on this challenge with great sensitivity, redesigning an abandoned Himalayan house in the Himalayas into something far more than just a residence. Here, every intervention is rooted in culture, memory, and place—reviving the character […]
Editors’ Note – This colonial house in Delhi carries an ambience of grandeur, infused with the elegance of Victorian-style colonialism. Expansive living, dining, and kitchen areas open into light-filled spaces framed by large glazing that connect seamlessly to the surrounding landscape. Inside, tropical interiors with bold geometry add a contemporary layer of comfort. The residence […]
“Hilltop House” is envisioned as a contemporary yet context-sensitive residential project that harmonizes architecture and interior design to create a sanctuary perched on a scenic elevation. The design will respond directly to the topography, climate, and panoramic views, while delivering a highly functional, comfortable, and aesthetically refined living environment. This Hilltop House in Indore Is […]
This southwest-facing bungalow, with golden accents in its interiors, is a refined expression of contextual and climate-responsive modern architecture. The home embraces its orientation with an intelligent façade design that balances aesthetic appeal and environmental performance. With the sun’s harshest rays hitting the structure in the latter half of the day, the architects incorporated a […]
The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]
Aangan is a modern residence that seamlessly integrates with the lush environment of Kerala, showcasing a tropical home design. Designed to embrace the region’s warm climate, the house features a striking sloped terracotta roof at varying levels, enhancing both its aesthetic appeal and functional efficiency. The structure is enveloped in a vibrant tropical landscape, adorned […]
The door design for main door is a defining feature of any Indian home, embodying both style and cultural significance. In a country rich with diverse architectural traditions, the entrance to your home reflects not only personal taste but also cultural heritage. Whether you’re drawn to the intricate carvings of traditional Indian door designs or […]