Designed as a ‘luxurious ashram’, this single-level home is anchored by rammed earth walls crafted with artisans from Hunnarshala. With seven courtyards and two gardens, it balances intimacy and expansiveness, rethinking social spaces for multi-generational living.
Made from the soil of the land, each enclosure breathes with an adjacent open space, making room for both the individual and the coming together of three generations
7 Courtyards House
Shalini and Anand Raghavan
Baroda, Guajrat
2022
Built Up : 15,715 sq ft | Site : 0.3 Acre Site
AT A GLANCE
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7
Courtyards hold the house in balance; between earth and air, retreat and gathering
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The house reflects on a thought of luxury in the sense of access to green spaces, authenticity of natural materials that are finely crafted.
The house unfolds along a 70-meter-long central spine punctuated by seven courtyards and two gardens. Each courtyard holds a distinct energy, shaping spaces that are as much outdoors as indoors. Entry is through a fragrant flower court, followed by a succession of volumes that flow into each other — private rooms, social spaces, a library-like ‘Great Room’, and pavilions open to gardens.
The design embraces multi-generational living: intimate enough for two permanent inhabitants, yet flexible to welcome visiting family. Spaces are fragmentary yet unified, fostering connections while offering privacy. Materials are elemental — exposed concrete, rammed earth, mud plaster — and expressive of authenticity. Courtyards, vaulted pavilions, and layered walls create a home that is as much landscape as dwelling, dissolving boundaries between inside and outside, self and collective.
FIG (O1)
Rammed Earth
Collected on the way from Kutch to Baroda, the stratified compaction of these earthen samples within formwork exemplifies the architectural ethos of simplicity.
FIG (O2)
Mud Plaster
Breathable mud plaster moderates indoor climate, its natural composition supporting thermal comfort while lending softness and material honesty to interiors.
FIG (O3)
Exposed Concrete
Exposed concrete defines structure with clarity, enabling long spans and durable surfaces while expressing construction through restrained, enduring architectural language
FIG (O4)
Kota Flooring
Dense Kota stone flooring grounds circulation areas, offering durability, thermal comfort, and ease of maintenance across high-use interior environments.
