O Brink
- Client:Private Client
- Location:Amby Valley, Lonavla
- Area:1/2 Acre
- Delivery:Design Consultancy
- Design Team:Anu Chauhan
Prashant Chauhan
Nirali
Courtyard Home with Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Living Overlooking a Valley
This private residence is designed to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a harmonious flow of natural light, greenery, and functionality. The ground floor plan is interwoven with nature, featuring an informal living room and a dining area that connects seamlessly to the kitchen.
At the center of the home lies a courtyard pocket with panoramic views, serving as the heart of the house and filling every corner with light and fresh air. The linear staircase leads to the first floor, which houses the master bedroom, guest bedroom, and a formal living space opening to a deck overlooking the party area and the breathtaking valley beyond. An aesthetic ramp elegantly connects the upper deck to the ground level, enhancing accessibility and flow.
The residence features a walking track along the boundary, which unfolds into multiple levels of southwest-facing decks interconnected with ramps and staircases. These decks offer unique experiences – one featuring a Jacuzzi with valley views, while others are designed with seating areas and a telescope corner, creating perfect spaces for stargazing and relaxation.
This home is a true blend of landscape-integrated architecture, where every level celebrates nature, views, and seamless living.
Between the Lines
Q1. What was the design vision for this residence?
The vision was to create a home that breathes with its surroundings — a space where architecture and landscape merge seamlessly. The design blurs the line between indoors and outdoors, embracing openness, light, and the calm rhythm of nature.
Q2. How does the concept of seamless indoor-outdoor living take shape in the design?
The entire layout is anchored around visual and physical continuity. The living, dining, and kitchen flow directly into the central courtyard, allowing natural light and greenery to weave through every room. Large openings dissolve walls, creating an uninterrupted dialogue with the valley beyond.
Q3. What role does the central courtyard play in the spatial planning?
The courtyard is the soul of the home — a light-filled breathing pocket that connects all major spaces. It brings in natural ventilation, visual openness, and emotional warmth, transforming a simple circulation zone into a daily experience of stillness.
Q4. How is the architecture designed to interact with the valley view?
The home is oriented to frame and celebrate the valley at every level. From the upper deck to the Jacuzzi terrace, each vantage point offers a unique perspective — turning the act of looking outward into a meditative engagement with the landscape.
Q5. What inspired the integration of ramps and multi-level decks?
The sloping terrain became an opportunity rather than a limitation. A series of interconnected ramps and stepped decks ensure smooth accessibility while creating layered outdoor experiences — for lounging, dining, stargazing, or simply pausing with the view.
Q6. How does the design balance openness with privacy?
While the home embraces openness, the spatial planning ensures layered privacy. The ground floor remains communal and transparent, while the first floor transitions to more private zones like bedrooms and the formal lounge — all without losing the sense of flow.
Q7. How are the interiors and materials aligned with the architectural concept?
Natural materials such as stone, wood, and glass dominate the palette, grounding the design in its natural context. Every surface reflects the textures and tones of the landscape, maintaining continuity between the built form and its environment.
Q8. How is movement designed as part of the spatial experience?
Movement is experiential rather than functional. The linear staircase and aesthetic ramp are designed as journeys through light, shadow, and changing perspectives. Each transition — from the courtyard to the decks — feels effortless and connected.
Q9. What are some unique lifestyle elements integrated into the design?
Multiple southwest-facing decks accommodate diverse leisure activities — a Jacuzzi deck overlooking the valley, quiet seating corners, and a telescope zone for stargazing. These elements turn everyday living into a series of sensory experiences.
Q10. In one line, how would you describe this Courtyard Home?
A living landscape — where light, air, and architecture flow as one, framing the valley not as a view, but as a way of life.
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