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Inspired by a fleeting temple moment where sunset light softened stone into the sublime, this project reflects on how stone’s permanence can evoke a transient, emotional experience. Located on former quarry land now turned residential, and adjacent to forests and lakes, the site naturally calls for stone as the primary material, deeply connected to its surroundings. A reinterpretation of the traditional nine-grid plan, with an open centre, responds to both climate and culture. Drawing from tradition while challenging norms, the project explores a new tectonic language for stone architecture. By rooting itself in context, it offers a fresh spatial experience—timeless, grounded, and deeply integrated.
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The project is a direct response to its natural setting, surrounded by lakes, quarries, and mountain ranges. The house (site) becomes part of a larger whole (community), and the decision to use stone as the primary construction material is driven by the surrounding landscape and material availability. Additionally, the roof collects rainwater, temporarily storing it in an eco-pond before allowing the excess to flow over the surface into common drains, ultimately recharging the existing community lake. In this way, the house functions as a miniature apparatus, contributing to and enriching a symbiotic relationship with the environment.
The project addresses sustainability at three levels: site, building, and elements. Locally sourced, sensibly quarried stone gives it a low carbon footprint, making it ideal for the context. The building is oriented with large open spaces to the north for light and ventilation, and smaller openings to the south and west for shading. Courtyards improve airflow, reducing reliance on mechanical systems. A modular plan allows efficient use of space and materials. Glass openings with high peripheral walls balance openness and privacy. Roof water feeds an eco-pond, helping recharge groundwater and the nearby lake. Built in stone with dovetail joinery, the structure is suited for recycling and upcycling. The project won Best Use of Stone and was Highly Commended at WAF 2024.
This project is an amalgamation of the intangible and the tangible—the intangible being a personal connection with the material, stone, and the integrity found in historical structures. This is followed by a reinterpretation of tradition to establish a new tectonic order, elevating the project to a contemporary expression and experience. This expression results in a space that is purely essential, evoking a sense of spirituality and making the spaces feel soulful.
A modular floor plan allows flexibility in spatial use, making the spaces dynamic and responsive. The architecture begins to integrate with the surrounding environment through sustainable strategies such as the use of appropriate local materials, conservation of water resources, incorporation of local flora, recycling of on-site stone waste, and a forward-looking approach to upcycling.
The project began as a joint venture between a private investor and an architect who started a company to build small, sustainable homes rooted in local context. As the company’s flagship, the house also became a residence and workspace for the architect and his wife. Designed with openness, privacy, and wellness in mind—given the couple’s chronic illnesses—it reflects their belief in mindful, minimal living.
Play Architecture is an evolving, inclusive practice rooted in modernism and influenced by Auroville’s sustainable ethos. Since 2005, we’ve explored theory and making through various architectural “isms” like Minimalism, Deconstructivism, Parametricism, and Critical Regionalism. Our studio thrives on contrasts—scientific and spiritual, abstract and literal, digital and analog—creating a dialogue between practice, research, and academia. We embrace all scales, from door handles to housing communities, valuing learning over typological limits. Recent projects like the Dining Space at Devedhare and OHHO Residence reflect our nature-centric, material-driven approach—architecture that is contextual, efficient, and sustainable. Our work has earned global recognition, including honors at the World Architecture Festival in 2022 and 2024.
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