Living on the Edge : Gabion wall contouring Tamil Nadu village house is admirably adapt to nature
Located on an elevated, rocky site that offers expansive views across the surrounding mountain ranges, Earthscape Studio hews the undulated land to erect ‘Infinite Rise’ – A semicircular house wrapped by gabion wall near the Anaikatti village, Tamil Nadu.
It takes the optimal use of natural landscape coupled with creative engineering — and a bit of daredevil spirit — to build a house that truly stands at the edge.
Building a home attached to a sheer wall of rock means balancing aesthetic temptations with the realities of exposure, accessibility, zoning issues and design, Exteriors of The Infinite Rise uses Gabion walls filled with stone “camouflage” to provide stability, the varying pattern of the density of stones offers adequate light and privacy required in the rooms behind them.
During summer, the place gets really hot; to avoid that, oxide flooring and an open courtyard help maintain a cool temperature inside the spaces. The water body in between the room and the gabion wall cools the air temperature when it travels from outside to the inside.
Apart from the suspended rocks sourced locally, the furniture has been crafted from scrap wood that is used throughout the building, collected from scrap and reused for doors, bar tables, armchairs, bar stools, and kitchen cabinets.
As per architect, they did not want to disturb the natural landform, hence utilised it to camouflage with the existing landscape.
Each room faces northwards across the landscape through full-height windows, which are shaded from the sun and heavy winds by the external gabion wall.
Between these two external layers, a thin strip contains planting and a shallow pool of water to provide further shading and protection.
The purpose of the gabion wall with suspended stones was to offer an unhindered view of the breathtaking landscape to the inhabitant.
Along the more enclosed back of the home to the south is a retaining wall, which is also built using stones sourced from the site and left exposed.
Sliding glass doors open the living spaces out onto a north-facing concrete terrace, where an infinity pool is intended as “a connecting bridge between the human and nature”.
Images by: https://www.dezeen.com/2024/03/08/the-infinite-rise-india-earthscape-studio/
Follow us on