Flying House

Rushang Shah

Devghar, Lonavla

2019

Built Up : 87,120 sq ft | Site : 1.85 Acre Site

Flying House is dramatically sited along the ridgeline of the Sahyadri hills, overlooking the sweeping valleys of the Western Ghats. Conceived as a linear holiday home, the house unfolds along a 75-metre north–south axis, carefully oriented to engage expansive eastern views while negotiating the harsh climatic conditions of the ridge. The architecture responds directly to wind, rain, sun, and terrain—allowing the house to feel both anchored and airborne.

A monumental western wall, clad in copper slate stone, runs the full length of the house. Solid and protective, it shields the interiors from strong westerly winds and monsoon rains, while catching and reflecting the changing light of the setting sun. This robust edge enables the eastern-facing decks and living spaces to remain open, sheltered, and habitable throughout the year.

The house is organised into two distinct volumes. A single-level northern block contains the primary social spaces—living, dining, and kitchen—designed as open-plan environments that flow seamlessly outward. To the south, a two-storey private wing houses the bedrooms, each opening onto decks oriented toward the valley. Between these volumes, an infinity pool and garden carve out a moment of pause, while a continuous deck wraps around the house, stitching the architecture into the landscape.

Large glazed doors slide away to dissolve boundaries between inside and outside, extending everyday life onto decks, terraces, and the pool edge. The architecture emphasises fluid movement and social living, allowing the landscape to become an active participant in daily inhabitation.

Crowning the ridge is a folded metal roofscape that echoes the distinctive silhouette of the Ghats. The roof planes float above exposed concrete, brick, and metal truss structures, cantilevering outward to shelter outdoor spaces and respond to long monsoon seasons. The structure is expressed and elemental—raw yet precise. Textured limestone floors run continuously through the house, grounding the spaces while offering subtle moments of surprise underfoot.

Robust yet open, Flying House embodies a landscape-driven approach to architecture—where building and terrain merge into a single, seamless experience shaped by climate, movement, and view.

A folded roofline echoes the silhouette of the Sahyadri hills.

Flying House

Rushang Shah

Devghar, Lonavla

2019

Built Up : 87,120 sq ft | Site : 1.85 Acre Site

AT A GLANCE

75 m

long linear house oriented along a north–south axis

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Perched on the ridgeline of the Sahyadris, Flying House is a five-bedroom holiday retreat stretched along a 75m axis. With copper slate walls, folded metal roofs, and fluid indoor-outdoor decks, it celebrates elemental architecture in dialogue with dramatic landscapes.