Tea Planters' Residences
Resort-style, luxury accommodation for tea planters in one of the world’s most productive tea estates, set within the remote upper banks of the mighty Brahmaputra in Lower Assam. The design recasts traditional tea bungalow elements like the sloping roof and veranda into a modern residence featuring smaller, naturally lit and ventilated spaces with spectacular views of the surrounding tea gardens and the sky.
The two semi-independent units are connected by a long, canyon-like and plant-filled breezeway that cuts through the site making the house appear lighter and inviting. The entrance to the units are crowned by a generous oculus in concrete that throws interesting light patterns onto the adjacent stone walls as the day wears along.
Location
Mazbat Tea Estate in Lower Assam
Area
2000 Sqft
Project Duration
2013-2015
Team
Animesh Nayak, Asim Mandal, Kaustav Khan
Material Palette
- Exposed concrete, cast in locally woven bamboo matt formwork
- Feature walls of hand split, rounded, Himalayan river boulders
- Box windows of single, large slabs of Jaisalmer marble
- Outdoor paving of washed concrete using river aggregate
- Walls of locally fired kiln bricks
- Fences of steel frame and locally woven bamboo matting
- Exotic local plants including Elephant Ears, Giant Assam Ferns and Fan Palms
