During my recent trip to Gujarat for the FOAID event in Ahmedabad, for a talk about our practice in Goa, Grounded. I visited ‘Amdavad Ni Gufa’ where art meets architecture quite literally. This extraordinary art gallery designed by B. V. Doshi, houses the works of the famous artist M. F. Husain. Also known as the Hussain-Doshi Gufa, the design of the space perfectly complements the art in it. The curves, openings, and enclosures create a unique environment with light and shadow playing beautifully throughout the space.

Amdavad Ni Gufa was born out of a conversation between Doshi and Husain that took place thirty years before the project began. The design was a response to the climate, exploring the benefits of underground spaces. The tortoise shell-shaped roof was computer-aided and employed local craftspeople. Made from ferro-cement and then covered with a mosaic of waste tiles and broken cutlery. These tiles reflect sunlight and help keep the interiors cooler than the outside.

Source: ©Hussain-Doshi Gufa

For art lovers visiting Ahmedabad, Amdavad Ni Gufa is a must-visit. It’s not just about the art on the walls; it’s about the entire experience of being in this space. The Gufa leaves a lasting impression, offering a cool, peaceful environment like an ancient cave of modern heritage.

The upcoming project of sister villas, The Terracotta House and the Indigo House are taking shape on-site. Set in the Pomburpa Village in Goa, the houses are designed to connect with the land with an ecological design, enjoyed barefoot with the calm interactions of nature. To experience the outcome's look and feel, here’s our material palette.

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The selection and finalization of materials is an important and lengthy design process. Colors and textures define the space. The feel and the vibe we experience are a product of it. Terracotta house is earthy and serene with warm tones, harmonizing the interiors and exterior. Indigo House is calm with quiet views of water, and tones of blue merging with the view.

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Images sourced from Anupama Kundoo

Wall House in Auroville is an experimental house designed by sustainability champion Anupama Kundoo. The architecture employs a play in proportions to create comfortable yet dramatic spatial envelopes. The house is built entirely with locally sourced materials in new, innovative ways to create soothing, earthy spaces that respond to the warm, humid climate.

Wall House is predominantly constructed with the vernacular ‘Achukkal’ brick, once ubiquitous to the building landscape in Tamil Nadu. Known for their unique flat, thin profiles and their distinctive red colour, Achukkal bricks are typically made out of left-over silt that is collected from farmlands around. They are then shaped by hand and fired in clay ovens for strength and stability. The bricks are deemed to be extremely sustainable, given their long life, low cost of production, and the sparing amounts of energy use for manufacturing.

The earthy palette and warm finishes move beyond the brick walls and are found throughout the house. The august clay pot vault above the double-height living space and the innovative filler slab roof above the dining area are particularly worthy of mention.

Each facade of Wall House sports unique fenestrations that bring in fresh air and ample daylight. On one side, a series of louvered windows built out of local mango wood and completed with unpolished granite stone come into sight. On the other side, a series of pivoting ferrocement screens open the house to the verdant landscape around when open, and bring beautiful light and shadow patterns indoors when closed.

Building with rammed earth is simple, pocket friendly, and sustainable. Contrary to popular belief, rammed earth construction is feasible in a wide range of climatic zones, including areas with a significant monsoon. A built rammed earth structure is a sight for sore eyes, it is a dense but breathable material which makes it great for thermal insulation. With the right processes and tools, a rammed earth structure can easily be implemented by anyone. Here are some basics about the natural material to help you get started.

Knowledge Partners: Gia Mantra Global Village

For a detailed analysis of Rammed Earth as a building material, watch my conversation with natural building expert Donald Sequeira here.

We also answered the FAQs on Rammed Earth recently. Find the Q&A session here.