Most architects might view a seven-meter-deep gorge as a challenge to work around, but Vinu Daniel and his team at Wallmakers embraced it as an integral part of their design. The Bridge House in Karjat, Maharashtra, lives up to its name, serving as a weekend home that spans a 30-meter-wide spillway. Completed in 2025, this 4,500-square-foot structure elegantly connects two parcels of land divided by streams, with just enough clearance below for diggers to navigate through.
Structural ingenuity meets local inspiration
The backbone of the Bridge House lies in its engineering simplicity. Four hyperbolic parabolas form its suspension spine, held in place by sparing use of steel pipes and tendons under tension. This frame supports a grid of steel cables shaped into a twisting hyperbolic paraboloid and coated in mud—a signature medium for Wallmakers. More than mere aesthetics, the mud acts as a compressive force, stabilizing the bridge and protecting it against pests that typically attack thatched constructions.
The unique skin of the house, made from locally-sourced grass thatch, resembles overlapping scales akin to a pangolin’s armor. Daniel embraces this comparison deliberately to emphasize the sustainable and thermally efficient properties of thatched roofing. He explained, “although thatched roof construction is efficient, it has declined due to pest issues, lack of skilled labor, deforestation, and maintenance needs.” This mud-thatch composite addresses these concerns by fundamentally rethinking the use of materials.
Locally-sourced materials and intentional design
Transporting materials to the remote Karjat location was no small feat. This logistical challenge steered the team to utilize locally available resources, which defined the building’s material palette. As a result, the structure appears to rise from the landscape rather than being placed upon it. Inside, translucent screens and raw mud surfaces maintain a minimalist yet tactile environment. Designers Preksha Shah and Ramika Gupta transformed constraints into opportunities, honing a design approach that was both adaptable and meaningful.
Bridge House stands as a testament to the challenges and beauty of its site. The gorge isn’t merely an obstacle; it is the very essence of the house’s existence. This honesty in structure, material, and spatial arrangement underscores the audacity and ingenuity that make Wallmakers’ projects compelling and significant.
Sources & Links
Source: yankodesign.com