Nestled along the tranquil banks of Osman Sagar in Gandipet, Hyderabad, this 4BHK tropical modernist weekend home, is designed masterfully to leverage the site's natural beauty. It offers uninterrupted views of the lake to the northeast and horizons to the New city skyline, while ensuring the residence feels private, warm, and intricately connected to its surroundings. Each element of the residence, sprawled over 1.2 acres, works in harmony to create a sanctuary where indoor and outdoor spaces flow seamlessly, embodying the essence of mindful luxury living.

Responding to the client’s vision, the architect’s created a 4bhk weekend home, with a home theater, spa, gym, a pool, and a secluded bedroom. Additionally, to respect the site’s natural character and biodiversity, the overall built area was restricted to 10,000 sq.ft.

One approaches the site through welcoming high walls. Visitors are directed to a car park that leads to an entry plaza, creating a multi-layered arrival experience. Directional walls and pathways gradually unveil the house, enhancing the sense of drama and anticipation. Inside, glimpses of the lake emerge, culminating in expansive views along the verandah, framed by cantilevered slabs that seemingly float above the ground.

The landscape, designed by Studio Gaea, is planned to allow for unobstructed views of the lake while serving the functional purpose of hosting large outdoor parties and family weddings. Species such as Erythrina Indica (Indian coral tree), Lagerstromia speciosa, Cassia fistula, and Neem trees are strategically planted to create a foreground to the lake with their blooming flowers and provide shade. The layered tropical landscape surrounding the spa block, traversing through green pathways and shrubs, is designed as a pleasure garden where one can pause and appreciate different seasonal blooms.

Coconut trees along the lakebed bring verticality to the landscape while thriving in the hot and humid microclimate around the lake. Wadelia is planted as a single species for the mound around the house, chosen for its invasive properties and strong root system that holds the soil against erosion during heavy rains. A temple tree in the center courtyard connecting the blocks of the house is perceived as a living sculpture that changes over time, taking its own form. Garden elements such as planters and outdoor artifacts brought from Bali serve as visual cues at the twists and turns of the garden.

The design follows biophilic principles with the spa block walls clad with natural stone murals mimicking tropical landscapes, and natural stones imprinted with leaf motifs used for flooring in the entrance plaza, enabling an organic transition from hardscaping to softscaping. The built form is interlaced with water bodies, courtyards, semi-open courtyards, and open baths bringing nature inside while maintaining visual connections with the surrounding landscape and lake from all corners of the house.

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