Hillside holiday home presides over Mumbai Bay

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The Ray | Architecture Brio | India

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This 1,800-square-metre holiday home in Alibag was designed by Architecture Brio to take advantage of the site's prominent, hillside location. Named The Ray, the home is topped with two gabled, timber structures perched on a hillside overlooking Mumbai Bay in India.

The Ray is situated on the hillside with natural stone visible on the lower floors. A stone base built from hand-cut limestone stands on top of the natural base, which supports the two gabled pavilions.

"We knew at the outset this house would have a strong presence due to its large program and the fact that it was sitting atop a hill that is visible from afar, rather than fighting this we tried to find alternative ways to settle into the landscape." said Architecture Brio founder Shefali Balwani.

One pavilion was enclosed in louvred facades, while the other was made from stone.

"We worked with the idea of terracing and wrapping both the building and landscape with stone walls that emerged from the land, the walls being shorter or taller as the program demands," he continued.

"This gave the home the feeling of being a lost and found ruin."

"The site offers truly spectacular views, providing a panoramic vista of Bombay Bay and the vast ocean beyond," explained Balwani. "But we wanted to avoid making this house all about a single mega-panoramic gaze."

"When envisioning our design, we saw the two linear forms as akin to telescopes, expertly framing these breathtaking views."

The pavilion clad in timber serves as the primary living area of the vacation residence, connecting seamlessly to a protected terrace, enveloped by a swimming pool. The stone structure houses a collection of bedrooms, including a master suite that offers panoramic views of the bay. In the creation of this dwelling, the design team consistently strived to incorporate locally sourced materials and involve skilled artisans.

"In this project, apart from the core structure and the striking metal standing seam roof, virtually every element of the home has been meticulously handcrafted," said Balwani.

"This dedication to craftsmanship is evident in the intricately hand-cut limestone walls, the expansive sliding steel windows, the reflexology pebble bathroom floor, and even the boulders discovered on-site, transformed into distinctive bathroom basins by skilled Rajasthani artisans," he continued.

"These elements have been integrated with a contemporary sensibility, departing from the traditional context in which these artisans typically work."

Additionally, the design studio made a conscious effort to recycle and adapt several on-site boulders, with some left in their original positions and others transformed into basins.

"The hill upon which the house is situated is naturally rugged and rocky, and we anticipated encountering numerous boulders during the excavation for the foundation," said Balwani.

"Some of these boulders we deliberately chose to leave exposed in their natural state, carefully smoothing and finishing their surfaces, while others were thoughtfully repositioned and repurposed, such as the one near the pool, which now serves as a basin to collect rainwater."

Despite the holiday home's substantial size, the studio's intention was to set it apart from neighboring residences, which they characterized as "self-important villas."

"We embrace an architecture characterized by humility," he explained. "This is an architecture that doesn't seek the spotlight but rather values its integration into a broader context, where it becomes an integral part, shaped and enriched by its surroundings."

The main bedroom has views across the bay.

"In this project, we have meticulously planned most of the aspects. However, we've also intentionally introduced an element of unpredictability in the interplay between architecture and the surrounding landscape," he continued.

"While we guide this process, we like to envision that over time, nature and architecture will become increasingly intertwined in their coexistence."

Constructing a substantial residence on a hillside overlooking the sea in Mumbai is both thrilling and challenging. The anticipation of a breathtaking ocean view is exhilarating, but it also contributes to the growing number of imposing villas that now dot these landscapes which, not so long ago, remained untouched by development. Rather than attempting to conceal its presence, the Ray villa in Alibag instead accentuates its architectural form. In many ways, it resembles the Portuguese chapels scattered amidst the rolling hills of nearby coastal Goa. These chapels, with their striking white appearance, boldly embrace their existence, characterized by their distinctive axial orientation and commanding silhouette. In a similar vein, this retreat seeks to integrate seamlessly into its natural surroundings. The house takes shape through two offset linear pavilion-like structures that are oriented towards the breathtaking views. These pavilions are constructed from white "Dhrangadhra" limestone walls and are adorned with white-painted timber shutters, which offer shade to the deeply recessed steel-framed windows. These structures serve as prominent architectural features that act as long spatial telescopes, making the distant sea views appear closer than they actually are. The residence employs various strategies to harmoniously blend with the landscape. Half of its rooms are nestled within a solid "hook"-shaped stone plinth, which functions both as a retaining wall and a supportive base for a green-roofed terrace. This stone plinth also creates a semi-open courtyard at the lower level, oriented towards the sea and providing a sense of shelter. Interstitial landscape elements, such as a series of stepped plinths and platforms, cascade down the slope in resonance with the architectural intervention. A sinuous infinity pool envelops the covered outdoor lounge and living spaces, mirroring the nearby shoreline located a few kilometers away.

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