Joyful As Spring

Mumbai outfit Parallax Design Studio thoughtfully piece together a house with a heart, that loves the outdoors as much as it embraces local materials and sunny colours.

- Rohit Mankar

Located in Alibaug, on the coast of western Maharashtra across the bay from Mumbai, the site is on a relatively busy road that connects to the main jetty. It starts as a narrow strip and opens out towards the rear, which gave us the opportunity to position the house, in a way that it has complete visual privacy. The approach road goes through the lushly landscaped plot and the existing outhouse before turning towards the front porch. The house is placed in the East-West direction of the sea breeze, to maximise cross ventilation. While the entrance faces West, all the rooms and private spaces open to the East, orienting the villa towards the dramatic views of the hills and away from the harsh western sun.