Indian architecture practice Red Brick Studio’s recently completed project, Oblique House, is a weekend home in Kamshet, Pune, in Maharashtra, India. Situated on a sloping site and at the edge of a lake, the Oblique House sits askew, is directly accessible from openings on both levels and offers panoramic views of the surrounding terrain without compromising the privacy of the holiday home. A glance at the slanted site and the inclined structure persuasively highlights the reasoning behind the name of the private residence.

The larger site on which Oblique House sits is linear, with its longer sides facing northeast and southwest. Accessible from the road on the southeast edge of the side, the site slopes downward as one approaches the house. Descending further leads to a flat patch of land before arriving at the Uksan Lake. The gradually sloping site is additionally dotted with a number of trees.

Anil Poduval and Ankur Kothari, Indian architects and founders of Pune-based Red Brick Studio, contravened conventional practices and proposed reserving the flat section of the site for an orchard. They positioned the contemporary residence across the sloping section of the site, nestled within its folds for a tucked-away placement. Consequently, the house is not adequately visible from the entrance and only reveals itself as one moves inward. However, the outward view of the surroundings from within the house, remains unencumbered, with glass windows, doors and skylights framing the natural landscape. The final residential design, split across two levels, is accessible from both ends of the site.

The clients of Oblique House are a couple who requested Red Brick Studio to conceive a residential architecture for them and their dog. The brief delineated that the weekend house be “simple yet sophisticated, non-indulgent and something that prioritises function over form”. In any case, the verdant surroundings of Oblique House ensure a captivating experience in this region. Hence, Oblique House, despite its pared-down and minimal design, ensues a vibrant and lively atmosphere for the residents. The uncluttered residential building on the sloping site also facilitates the creation of an intimate sanctuary in the shade of a growing orchard, with unfettered views of the proximal lake and hills.

“When we first saw the site and its surroundings, we realised that the architecture here just needed to be an entity from within which you can experience nature. The entire house has been designed with that singular thought—how can we make it as less obtrusive as possible? So, we have almost taken a very frugal approach which ensures that your eye is not moving towards the architecture but it’s just helping frame the things around it,” Kothari narrates.

The overall form of the structure is wary of being categorised as a rectilinear, curvy or wavy building. Instead, its atypical form, devised to enhance the experience of moving through the house, creates unique nooks and vantage points on both levels. The planning of the residence resembles the cruciform, with the central arm oriented along the slope. One end of this arm is embedded in the ground and the other is slitled. The farther end of the arm, embedded into the ground, is, thus, split across two levels, with the lower level housing an entertainment room, store room, a deck and an outdoor utility area. The upper level, on the other hand, features the main entrance to the house, a courtyard, an entrance porch and entrance foyer, a staircase, staff room, the master bedroom and a deck. The second arm, situated perpendicular to the slope, intersects the first in the centre and encloses the living area, kitchen, dining area, toilets and deck.

All the decks within the residence face the lake. Conversely, the main entrance to the residence is accessible from the other end, the eastern side, through a descending courtyard—taking one gently down landscaped basalt steps to the red entrance door. The tilt in the plan of the Oblique House also further opens up views of the living room towards the lake and aligns the bedroom towards the setting sun.

Referring to the frugal approach in building the residence, the studio shares, “With the recent increase in second home tourism, the studio wished to create a positive environmental impact by minimising ground impact and maximising site potential while lowering energy value of the built mass using contextually appropriate technologies and materials.” While the central mass of the structure is composed of stone rubble walls, the levitating portions rest on steel columns, hence, ensuring that the sloping land beneath remains undisturbed. Further, the walls are made of exposed fly ash masonry, with ample openings punctured to frame picturesque views of the hills and the lake.

In comparison to the bare and hard exterior—which further helps the structure remain slightly camouflaged in the verdant terrain—the residential interiors reveal simple yet vibrant elements and colours. The white walls and black floors serve as neutral backdrops for changing furniture and artwork. The walls are rendered with natural lime plaster to keep the interiors cool during summer. At the same time, the breathability of the plaster ensures that moisture does not stagnate on the walls.

Further, the residence is punctured with ample openings—windows, French doors, skylights, amongst others—washing the house with natural sunlight. The metal French doors, designed and manufactured by the studio, open up completely, connecting the indoor spaces to the outdoor landscape. The landscape on the site has deliberately been kept raw. The Indian designers chose hardy native trees and wild grass for the site as opposed to manicured options. The studio hopes that this vegetation will grow over time and take over the bare parts of the built mass, hence allowing the structure to truly integrate with its surroundings.   

Project Details

Name: Oblique House
Location: Kamshet, Pune
Typology: Residential
Client: Swati and Milind Bengali
Architecture Studio: Red Brick Studio
Principal Architects: Ankur Kothari and Anil Poduval
Project Lead: Tamanna Arif
Site Area: 19,000 sq ft (1,765 sq m)
Built-up Area: 1,600 sq ft (148 sq m)
Year of Completion: 2024