When Ajay Gharat, an Ayurvedic doctor, dreamt of building himself a home, he was certain it had to be in sync with nature.

The project, intended as a second home for him, his wife, and kids, was a deeply personal one.

“As an Ayurvedic doctor, I have built my career around nature. So when it came to designing a home, I was sure that nature would play an integral part in it,” he shares.

He entrusted Mumbai-based architects, Shriya Parasrampuria and Prashant Dupare of Blurring Boundaries for the project, which spanned a year and a half.

Today, the piece of land in Pen, Raigad has been converted into a beautiful, nature-centric space.

“The property had a lot of greenery and five mango trees. While designing the house, we kept in mind that the mango trees should not be touched,” Prashant says.

Ajay was also keen on having a backyard where he could try his hand at organic farming. “We wanted to utilise every inch and corner of the place. The open plan of the house is such that we were able to bring in more space for the kids to run around,” adds Shriya.

The two-bedroom home, complete with a dining area, kitchen, and hall, was built with earthy tones and natural materials, as per Ajay's request.

The architects minimised the use of cement, opting instead for locally sourced bricks for most of the scaffolding.

“This was done to reduce the carbon footprint we leave behind while constructing a building,” shares Shriya.

Not just the walls but the roof too has been done interestingly. “The north-facing ferro-cement roof has been carefully designed to accommodate existing trees whose horizontal canopies provide natural shading, negating the need for air-conditioning,” Shriya notes.

“We as architects wanted to reduce the use of mechanical ventilation as much as possible,” she adds.

Another highlight of the property is a load-bearing glass wall along the staircase made with upcycled waste beer bottles.

In a bid to not waste any materials, the architects even crafted furniture from leftover materials. “The beds and benches are made from bricks and are permanent. This not only reduced waste but also gave the home a more earthy and clean look,” says Prashant.

Another highlight of the property is a load-bearing glass wall along the staircase made with upcycled waste beer bottles.

While these details tie in together beautifully, Ajay says the cherry on the cake is the temperature inside the home.

“It is 3-4 degrees cooler. You can feel the difference in temperature as you come inside the house.”