The Mango House: Simple and Organic

 The Mango House: Simple and Organic

 

Family & Parenting,Recreation & Leisure,Real Estate The quest to connect with the basic pleasures that nature bestows forms the essence of the design-and-build approach for the Mango House… On a plot bound by mango trees, a north-facing entrance with a luxurious driveway and an east-facing kitchen that catches the early morning sun, openings on all four sides provide uninterrupted views of the verdant outdoors to the city-dwelling homeowners, as the home makes for a much looked-forward-to retreat in the picturesque coastal town of Alibaug. Not one of the 70-to-80-year-old mango trees was cut to carve out this 6,000 sq. ft. holiday home. With the trees, at times, paternally standing protectively like a boundary wall, while at others, maternally spreading their leafy canopy to provide shade, Ar. Puran Kumar,

 principal, Puran Kumar Architects and the proud homeowner, decided to blur the indoor-outdoor boundaries. The interiors effectively reflect this seamless connect viz. abundance of windows, doors, skylights and balconies-cum-terraces. Furthermore, double-height living spaces in the dining and lounge areas and amorphous-shaped stairwell at the entrance foyer augments the capaciousness; whilst a view of the cool, inviting pool to one side and lush green lawns to the other, beautifies the schematic. An earthy palette predominates; extensive use of recycled teak wood lends timeless appeal as Shahabad stone, exposed brickwork, hanging utensils and exposed serve-ware in the kitchen cull out a warm country feel. Pastel soft furnishings blend into the natural setting; split levels add intrigue and functional requirements

 are aesthetically nuanced for eg. a stack of floor cushions in the TV room. A stark juxtaposition is apparent - of exposed raw material with finished surfaces via two distinct portions of the home: communal spaces like foyer, lounge, living, dining etc. leans towards an au naturel, whilst private areas like bedrooms, bathrooms, study etc. emphasize a refined look-feel – suggestive that comforts are provided but the emphasis is clearly not on luxury fit-outs, but on holistic and conscientious living.