Designed by Ahmedabad-based architect Aniket Bhagwat, Bridge House in Baroda, West India, started out as a holiday home and ended up as the owner's main residence.
From the outset, when planning the project, Bhagwat was given two options: to work with a plinth of an earlier attempt to build a house in the elevated site, or to locate the house closer to the site's edge, overlooking the landscape beyond. But in the end, he chose a third - situating the house's private areas on a nearby smaller hill and placing the public and entertainment spaces on the higher site in a separate building. The two parts of the house are linked by a striking bridge connection, which lends it its name.
It soon became obvious that Bridge House would be the owner's primary home, which allowed greater freedom for exploring different layouts and materials. But it also meant reworking plans to incorporate practical concerns like a second bathroom and extra storage and facility areas.
'If there is a central idea that holds the house together, it is perhaps the idea of movement and rest; which at all times explores the many stunning views of the surrounding landscape,' says Bhagwat. 'Sometimes ceremonial, even theatrical, sometimes simple, or even demanding a sense of inquiry, this movement changes datum often.'
Combining ample rest areas with stunning views, a well articulated material palette of stone, steel, glass and concrete and Indian's strong tradition of craft, Bridge House sits proudly on its beautiful landscape.
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