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the ray: a plantation retreat by architecture brio peers through india's wild nature

architecture brio looks to alibag’s secluded coastline

 

Hidden among the tall grasses of a sea-facing hillside in Alibag, India, a plantation retreat dubbed The Ray, stands with design by Architecture Brio that is at once grand and sensitive to the wild landscape. The remote location can be discovered just south of Mumbai, its nearly untouched hills a welcome contrast to the urban density of the large city. Together with landscape architect Kunal Maniar, the design team seeks to celebrate the beauty of the land by dotting the hillside with the pair of dwellings — taking inspiration from the Portuguese chapels while likewise dot the coastal hills of Goa further south.

These chapels in their pure white brilliance do not shy away from their existence with their characteristic axial orientation and dominant silhouette,’ explain the architects. ‘Similarly, this retreat attempts to lend a comfortable scale to its surrounding landscape.’

architecture brio ray
image © Ashish Sahi | header video © Vinay Panjwani

 

 

the two residential pavilions of ‘the ray’

 

The defining feature of Architecture Brio’s villa The Ray is the humble silhouette it casts against the lush jungle backdrop. The architects divided the home between two linear pavilions, each carefully staggered to frame uninterrupted views of the landscape and the Arabian Sea beyond. These pavilions are crafted from ‘Dhrangadhra’ limestone, their white walls gleaming in the tropical sun. The deep-set steel-framed windows are filtered by white-painted timber shutters, offering not only shade but also a sense of connection with the distant, rolling surroundings. ‘They are strong manifestations that act as long spatial telescopes, bringing the distant sea views seemingly closer by,’ the team continues.

architecture brio ray
the plantation villa in Alibag embraces its coastal site to offer a serene escape | image © Randhir Singh

 

 

architecture informed by a lush hillside

 

The Ray villa occupies the rolling landscape with half of its rooms nestled within a solid, ‘hook’ shaped stone plinth, which Architecture Brio designs as both a retaining wall and a gardened rooftop terrace. This solid stone base anchors the villa to the hillside to lend a sense of shelter and protection while integrating itself into the natural scenery. Interstitial, stepping platforms descend along the slope to navigate the terrain and mirror the shifted architecture. An infinity pool envelops a shaded outdoor lounge and living area, its sinuous profile mimicking the meandering shoreline just a few kilometers away.

architecture brio ray
a curved pool surrounds outdoor living spaces | image © Ashish Sahi, interiors styled by Samir Wadekar architecture brio ray
a sheltered living area opens on all sides to the distant hills | image © Randhir Singh the ray: a plantation retreat by architecture brio peers through india's wild nature
white limestone and deep-set windows frame sea views | image © Ashish Sahi, interiors styled by Samir Wadekar

architecture-BRIO-plantation-retreat-the-ray-mumbai-india-designoom-06a

image © Ashish Sahi, interiors styled by Samir Wadekar

the ray: a plantation retreat by architecture brio peers through india's wild naturenatural materials and details lend peaceful interiors | image © Randhir Singh

architecture-BRIO-plantation-retreat-the-ray-mumbai-india-designoom-08a

lofty ceilings showcase an intricate, lightweight structure | image © Randhir Singh

 

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image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Randhir Singh
image © Randhir Singh
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Ashish Sahi
image © Architecture BRIO
image © Architecture BRIO

project info:

 

project title: The Ray: Plantation Retreat

architecture: Architecture BRIO | @architecturebrio

location: Alibag, India

landscape: Kunal Maniar & Associates | @kunalmaniarassociates

interiors stylist: Samir Wadekar | @sam_wade11

design team: Shefali Balwani + Robert Verrijt, Harsh Soneji, Dipon Bose

size: 1,800 square meters

completion: 2022

photography: © Ashish Sahi, Randhir Singh, Architecture Brio

video: © Vinay Panjwani, courtesy Architecture Brio

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