Location and Site

House 1 is a mountain home atop a ridge overlooking the snow covered mountain range of Trishul and Nanda Devi peaks. The site is located at a height of 7000 ft. above sea level in the Kumaon area of Uttarakhand. The site experiences a wide temperature range from 32 deg. C to -7 deg. C. It also receives rainfall for an average 80 days in a year. The house sits just below an oak tree lined ridge on the south overlooking the mountain range on the north.

Organization, Structure and Material

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The form and layout of the building is inspired from the small rectangular homes that mark the landscape around the site. Four such single storey rectangular blocks are arranged together following the lay of the terrace to form the complete house. These blocks are separated by 5ft. wide passage (called connecting blocks).

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Locally available Sal timber sections are being used as main structural members for pitched roof's rafter and post members. The timber construction is being framed within a RC structure. Instead of traditional mono or dual pitched roof profiles, different lengths of the timber have been milled and connected with steel plates to form irregular context specific roof profiles to allow south sun to enter deep into each habitable space. 

The external walls of the rectangular block are a composite of 10 inch. thick local stone blocks on the outside with 5 inch. brick wall on the inside. 75mm thick insulation has been sandwiched between the two masonry walls to increase the thermal performance of the external wall. All blocks have an insulated metal roof for both thermal and acoustic performance. 

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