NARI GANDHI - MOUNTAIN LODGE, LONAVLA

 LOCATION- IT IS SITUATED ON A RIDGE THAT RUNS IN THE NORTH SOUTH

DIRECTION IN A REMOTE LOCATION NEAR THE TUNGARLI DAM IN LONAVLA,,
MAHARASHTRA.
 OWNER/ CLIENT- IT WAS DESIGNED FOR MR. JAL GOBHAI,A SENIOR
ARCHITECT FRIEND, LATER BOUGHT BY MR. DAYA.
 YEAR OF CONSTRUCTION- 1964
 BUILDING TYPOLOGY- RESIDENCE (A SIMPLE WEEKEND HOUSE).

SITE PLAN FROM RAHUL GORE’S THESIS+ PLAN+ TWO ELEVATIONS+

CONCEPTUAL SECTION+ZONING DIAGRAM
 TH DIRECTION.
FORM OF THE BUILDING- IT IS SUCH THAT THE ROOF IS PRESSED DOWN BY
THE WIND COMING FROM SOUTH WESTERN DIRECTIONS.
 ORIENTATION- THE MAIN BUILDING RUNS IN THE NORTH- SOU

 THE LODGE IS A STONE MASONARY STRUCTURE BUILT IN THE ‘DESERT

MASONARY’ METHOD THAT WRIGHT DEVELOPED FOR TALIESIN WEST.

 ‘DESERT MASONARY’- STONES ARE PLACED BETWEEN WOODEN FRAMEWORK

WITH FLAT SIDES FACING OUTWARDS AND CONCRETE IS POURED FROM THE
TOP.

 THE TRUSSES FOR THE LODGE ARE WOOD.

 THE ROOF IS VERY EXPRESSIVE WITH LONG PROJECTIONS AT THE GABLE AND
EAVES THAT TOUCHTHE GROUND .THE ROOFING SHEETS ARE ASBESTOS
CEMENT.

 THE FLOORING IS OF IN SITU TERRAZO HAVING LINES FOLLOWING THE ROOF

GEOMETRY.

 NARI USED WRIGHT’S CUSTOMIZED METHOD TO DETERMINE THE TRIANGULAR

GEOMETRY.

 HE WOULD PLACE A T- SQUARE,AS A MEDIAN, ON THE LINE RUNNING EAST-

WEST ON THE SITE.

 THEN HE USE A 30 – 60 DEG TRIANGULAR SET SQUARE TO DRAW THE PLAN OF

THE HOUSE.

A SKETCH
 THIS METHOD WAS TO MAXIMIZE SUN’S HEAT AND LIGHT.

A SKETCH

 NARI GANDHI PROVIDED VERANDAHS AT EVERY SIDE TO PROTECT THE HOUSE

FROM HEAVY RAINS AND HE ALSO ALIGNED THE OPENINGS TO FACE THE
RESERVOIR, VALLEY AND THE RAJMACHI FORT IN THE DISTANCE,
 THE SCALE AND PROPORTIONS OF EACH SPACE IS SUCH THAT IT RELATES TO
THE HUMAN BEING.

NARI GANDHI’S DESIGN PHILOSOPHIES OBSERVED IN

THIS PROJECT
 ROOF WITH LONG PROJECTIONS TOUCHING THE GROUND.
 TRIANGULAR GEOMETRY FOR PLAN, GREATLY INFLUENCED FROM THAT OF
FLW’ S.
 ‘DESERT MASONARY’ TO GIVE THE EFFORT OF LARGE STONES SET IN
ROUGH CONCRETE MUCH SIMILAR TO ONE DEVLOPED BY FLW FOR
TALIESIN WEST.
 USE OF LOCALLY QUARRIED STONE AND SEMI - TRAINED LABOUR.
 INTER – RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BUILDING AND THE SURROUNDING
CAN BE SEEN AS WELL.

“HAPPY NEW YEAR”