Interactive floor plan: Tea Garden House, Coonoor

Offsetting the surrounding rolling hills of Nilgiri in south India, as well as its highly contoured and organic site, this house, located near the small town of Coonoor, was conceived as a simple contemporary pavilion.
Designed by RMA Architects - based in Mumbai and New York, and headed by Rahul Mehrotra - the structure was created in response to a request for the existing operational tea garden to remain untouched. Respecting the client's decision, the architects worked on a modern, linear structure that sits right at the edge of the plantation, making the most of the garden's views.
The architects' design suggested a 'large roof under which would sit different rooms organised as independent cabins' and the roof certainly dominates the final structure. Finished in stainless steel panels, the its surface is an eye-catching feature in itself, but the roof also acts as a blurring of boundaries between inside and out, bringing glimpses of the surrounding nature into the interior through its reflections.
Internally, wood serves as a unifying element to the design. The teak wood used is complimented by the finished concrete of the main circulation spine that connects the house's rooms; several bedrooms, including a guest suite, lounge, living and dining areas, as well as kitchen and service rooms.
Contextually comfortable, yet distinctly modern, the house overlooks the tea garden remaining in dialogue with its surroundings. 'It is refined and complete, yet with potential for dynamic change through seasons, time, and visual extensions of space,' say the architects.
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
ALT Paris is a chic and fast-growing jewellery brand to know
The brand, which has just opened its second Paris boutique, has mastered the art of luxurious minimalism
-
Rediscover a classic midcentury hotel in Sydney
Fender Katsalidis leads a major renovation of the landmark Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel, pairing 1960s modernism with an elevated, Australian-minded reset
-
Haute Couture Week A/W 2025: what to expect
Five moments to look out for at Haute Couture Week A/W 2025 in Paris (starting Monday 7 July), from Glenn Martens’ debut for Maison Margiela to Demna’s Balenciaga swansong. Plus, ‘new beginnings’ from JW Anderson