House of Three Streams Maharashtra, India modern home photos, Lonavla architecture
House of Three Streams in Maharashtra
14 July 2025
Architects: Malik Architecture
Location: Lonavla, Maharashtra, India
Photos © Bharath Ramamrutham
House of Three Streams, India
The topography of the land, the material memory of the surrounding forts, the light of the forest, and the deep-water discharging ravines have created a dominant palimpsest of contextual parameters onto which the house has been woven.
As a home for 4 generations, it behaves like a condensed village, allowing for private and communal life. The flow of the large load-bearing wall that traces the ridge between two ravines anchors the proposal and establishes itself as a “found” element, resonating the contours and material of the walls of the Tungi and Lohgad forts to the east and north of the site. As the site flows to Pawna lake, so too does the house, picking clearings within the trees to capture the views of the lake.
Formal planning strategies are incapable of absorbing the radical flow of the land and water and everything from the spatial quality to the material language echoes the spirit of the site. The wall ruptures at points where the Verandah bridges over the ravine and continues on into the forest to the second ravine beyond the ridge. Sleeping spaces are embedded in the forest while public spaces assume the mannerism of suspended flight to the north and east.
The roof follows the topography of the perch points, tracing the path laid down by the hill; its language of fletched rafters and weathering zinc a natural foil to the robustness of the locally quarried basalt. Its contours reference the horizon and the hill. The deconstructed language of the tree-like structures that support the roof liberate the edges where shaded spaces and the forest merge.
Approach to Design – Dispersion/Float/Embed
Dispersion: The house occupies vacant spaces between areas of dense vegetation to prevent the cutting of existing trees. This allows the natural flow to thrive and enhances the experiential contact between built space and nature, improves the micro-climate and amplifies the cooling effect of the prevailing breezes, ensuring that the entire house is 100% naturally ventilated.
Float: Existing mountain streams have been mapped and preserved to retain the pattern of water discharge during the monsoon. Parts of the house are built on a ridge between 2 such streams to maximise their cooling potential and one of the major Verandah floats over the stream like a bridge. This also amplifies the flow of wind through the house. The public areas towards the north and east (desirable orientations in this region) are porous verandahs with deep roof overhangs providing protection from direct sun and rain, but allowing continuous movement of the breeze and landscape/ trees
Embed: Effective thermal banking:
The private spaces are banked into the southern edge of the main ridge, overlooking the large ravine/monsoon stream. A large stone wall running from south to north along the ridge binds these spaces but breaks open to allow east-west breezes and landscape to flow horizontally. The dense forest on the west, shades these spaces and the south west corner rises above the land to shield the house from the afternoon sun. The placement of two bedrooms below the pool ensures natural cooling, while the orientation of the pool along the axis of the spine allows the breeze to be cooled before travelling through the house. The elevation of the pool also minimises the likelihood of rats/ frogs/ snakes in the warm/ dry summer months.
What were the primary influences behind the design of House of Three Streams?
The house responds to the topography of the land, the material memory of the surrounding forts, the forest light, and the deep-water ravines on site. These elements formed a layered contextual framework onto which the architecture is woven. The nearby Tungi and Lohgad forts inspired the use of basalt and the curving wall that anchors the home to the ridge, echoing the land’s natural contours.
How does the design respond to the needs of a multi-generational family?
Designed for four generations, the house behaves like a condensed village—balancing communal and private spaces. Public spaces float above the terrain, open to light and views, while private sleeping quarters are embedded in the forest, creating intimacy and thermal comfort. This separation also allows for independence and quiet retreat within a shared home.
How did the natural features of the site shape the design strategy?
Rather than imposing a rigid plan, the house is shaped by the site’s radical flow of land and water. Clearings were chosen carefully between existing trees to avoid cutting vegetation. The house aligns with and hovers over natural ravines, maximizing wind flow, passive cooling, and maintaining the site’s monsoonal water discharge pattern. The spatial organization, material selection, and overall form mirror the spirit and movement of the land.
Can you elaborate on the ‘Dispersion, Float, Embed’ design approach?
Yes, this three-pronged strategy defined the house’s interaction with the site:
Dispersion: Built volumes are placed between dense vegetation to preserve trees, improve microclimate, and ensure full natural ventilation.
Float: Parts of the house float over existing streams and valleys, especially the Verandah that bridges a ravine. This amplifies wind flow, provides protection from direct sun and rain, and enhances sensory experience.
Embed: Private spaces are nestled into the southern ridge edge, shaded by forest and naturally cooled by thermal banking and smart orientation. The pool acts as a passive cooling device by aligning with the breeze path and insulating lower-level rooms beneath it.
What materials and construction techniques were used, and why?
Locally quarried basalt forms the main load-bearing walls, grounding the structure in regional material tradition and reducing embodied energy. The roof is crafted with fletched rafters and clad in weathering zinc, following the natural contours of the hill. Tree-like support structures liberate the roof’s edges, allowing shaded spaces to blend into the surrounding forest. Every element of construction enhances sustainability, longevity, and contextual relevance.
How does the architecture engage with the surrounding environment?
The house is a sensitive insertion into the forested landscape. Its form flows with the site—never resisting it. Its planning avoids tree cutting, respects water flows, and harnesses the breeze and shade for comfort. The design blurs the line between indoors and outdoors, creating a seamless, immersive connection with nature.
House of Three Streams in Maharashtra, India – Building Information
Architects: Malik Architecture – https://www.malikarchitecture.com/, Kamal Malik, Arjun Malik
Project size: 18000 ft2
Site size: 226512 ft2
Completion date: 2017
Building levels: 3
Photographs © Bharath Ramamrutham
House of Three Streams, Maharashtra, India images / information received 140725
Location: Maharashtra, Mumbai, India, South Asia.
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