Outhouse / MISA ARCHITECTS

Curated by Fernanda Castro

Architects: MISA ARCHITECTS
Area: 4000 ft²
Year: 2016
Photographs:Zurich Shah
Manufacturers: Saint-Gobain, Jaguar, Jindal, cera
Lead Architects: Tarun Patel, Vipul Jiyani

Text description provided by the architects. Outhouse: a visible invisible extension of nature
Seated amidst agricultural farmland, this weekend house brings harmony between the natural and the built environment.

On the first visit to the site, the architect made up his mind to optimize on the setting of this project. Amid lush green farmland, away from the bustling city of Ahmedabad, this site offered a getaway into the serenity and vastness of nature.

The design approach was to create an enigmatic feel by camouflaging the building with the background, which offered a matchless view of the horizon. The imagination was to bring life to a poetic expression: green grass below, and the blue sky above, and the outhouse at this threshold.

Outhouse / MISA ARCHITECTS - Beam, Facade — © Zurich Shah

The outhouse plan comprises a series of courtyards and private spaces, connected through an immaculate passage. This project has a living area, dining, kitchen, master bed and guest room. The courtyards embed usable outdoor spaces like the patio, swimming pool, and the entrance vestibule.

These fragmented semi-public, semi-private spaces are carefully positioned to create an array experiences while improvising on the ambiance. O The cantilevered deck turns into a pulpit in front of the graduating lawn space for audience seating.

The swimming pool is designed with the right amount of privacy, with a handy private shower and powder room for guests. The rooms intentionally make for an inside out living experience. The deeply shaded openings in the north and east ensure thorough daylight and shelter from the weather.

The exposed RCC ceiling is patterned with the bamboo curtains, with a complete green cover at the terrace. The building preserves water with its reverse boring to help recharge the ground water table.