Space Defined by Tradition and Context

Located in Alibaug on the west coast, near Mumbai, and set in a
hot-humid landscape, the House with Multiple Courtyards by RMA Architects employs a layered series of distinctive voids that intuitively situate the varying aspects of family life and gatherings, moving from the first, more public areas to the interiority of the private realm.

The non-hierarchical spatial order is organized by means of frames, pavilions, open corridors, three landscaped courts, and moving walls and enclosures. Resonating with the architectural heritage of the Pavilion Homes of the Western Ghats region of India, the house reveals underlying similarities and references to its cultural context. In contrast to traditional indigenous dwellings, however, the series of courtyards creates a multiplicity of centers on the interior. The result is a weave of different landscapes that move through the house into the most secluded sections. On the outside, the perimeters – partially porous structures with movable enclosures – blend with their natural surroundings, the discreet container of the serene living spaces. A linear lap pool extends from the living space to the garden beyond. Partially shaded and open to sky, this court has a series of sliding walls that can either enclose or open it to the landscape.

In the larger Indic context, the project – designed for an urban lawyer – invokes an entire genealogy of dwellings that have taken their cue from the architectural heritage of this particular landscape. Charles Correa, Bijoy Jain’s Studio Mumbai, _opolis, and Rajeev Kathpalia have all engaged with this typology that oscillates between interiority and an aspiration to nuance the connection with the surrounding natural landscapes.

A latent geometric order – a signature feature of every RMA project – also underpins this project, here, however, molded to produce spatial configurations that respond to context: the aspirations...

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