Going With the Flow: The Natural Beauty of “House on a Stream”

When building a new home, the site and location can matter as much as the structure itself. Some plots of land come with natural features that can greatly enhance the residence, like say, a tranquil stream flowing through the site. This is the setting that Architecture BRIO worked with when designing this elegant concrete retreat. Situated in the town of Alibag outside of Mumbai, the appropriately named House on a Stream features a small tributary meandering through the foundation — a graceful blend of architecture and nature. Think of it as Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater minus the “falling.”

Photos by Sebastian Zachariah, Photographix

The house consists of two parts: the day-time areas, such as the dining room, kitchen, living room, and entrance veranda are separated from the master bedroom by a bridge that spans across the stream’s babbling waters.

Photo by Sebastian Zachariah, Photographix

Like an organism trying to make the most use of its resources and surroundings, the plan comprises several “limbs” reaching out into the terrain that maximize views of the landscape and dramatize the site’s picturesque moments: the multitude of medicinal and fruit bearing trees or the stream’s rushing cascades during monsoon rains.

Photo by Sebastian Zachariah, Photographix

Responding to the site and stream, the house’s orientation flows from high to low in accordance with the monolithic fluidity of its form. The interior is focused on the ordering of space, directing the eye to frame a particular view.

Photo by Sebastian Zachariah, Photographix

The heaviness of exterior mass is reversed by the lightness of the whitewashed walls and ceilings inside. Large sliding doors and a central courtyard bring the natural environment into the interiors. Outside, a swimming pool is aligned along the stream, acting as an aqueous substitute during the dry season.

Photo by Sebastian Zachariah, Photographix

Cast in plank-finished concrete with a vertical grain, the homogenous materiality emphasizes the sculptural quality of the house. With the area’s humid climate, the exposed concrete attracts a patina that becomes more rich and alive over time. Elegant timber screens soften the gray hues, not only forming a buffer between the interior space and the exteriors, but also creating an intensive play of shadow and light on the floors and walls.

Photo by Sebastian Zachariah, Photographix

Delicately weaving the footprint around the peaceful stream and verdant vegetation, while lifting the structure off the ground, the architect’s design amplifies the intimate relationship between house and landscape.