A home away from home

Architects speak about the growing concept of holiday homes and what goes into making that perfect space to unwind

Holiday home designed by Kamal Kamaraju 

HYDERABAD: A ‘holiday home’ is more than just two words. It is a feeling that transports one into a secluded, comfy cave far away from the hustle and bustle of the city and deep in the lap of nature, where we can just be. CE speaks to prominent architects about the growing concept of holiday homes on the outskirts of Hyderabad and what goes into making a perfect and sustainable space to unwind. They also talk about how different and peaceful holiday homes are from farmhouses.

There is a stark difference between a holiday home and a farmhouse. There is no farm, but wild, lush greenery in the vicinity of the cabin or the home. A holiday home is generally located far from the city -- away from settlements and is generally a kilometre from even a village.

“Farmhouses are just duh! Many people build homes as guest houses surrounded by a farm with granaries and decorate them with floral or tribal art to give it the feel of a holiday home, which is a concept misunderstood by many,” says architect and actor Kamal Kamaraju, who owns a holiday home in Chevella. According to him, most farmhouses adopt the dhaba style, where people are just keeping the boundaries low, with more open space and they add tiles to mask the imperfections.

Kamal’s holiday home is by definition a ‘cabin in the wood’ located in the dry-scrub landscape of Chevella. It’s built from earthy material and stands not in contrast, but along with nature. “A holiday home is usually preferred to be styled informally. The colour, texture and shape must be as unobtrusive as possible to the surroundings. When building a holiday home, we intrude nature, but must also respect it,” says Yeshwant Ramamurthy, principal architect at STUDIO ONE.

Citing an example, he says, “Mahatma Gandhi, when he was talking about low-cost housing said, ‘Use what is available in the vicinity’. Gandhi was not only referring to sustainability. He was also talking about creating employment for the locals, keeping the local craft alive and using locally available material -- all of which ensure a longer life of the building.”

A sustainable holiday home designed by Yeshwant Ramamurthy

Things to keep in mind while building a holiday home

• Flexible floor plan: Go for a floor plan that is flexible to suit a wide range of guests. Large holiday homes usually have a small, basic kitchen, a large veranda, preferably half the size of the house, at least two toilets and a septic tank for sewerage treatment
• Windows and doors: Since the home is in a remote area, go for low-laying oversized windows and large doors that allow natural light to enter. The more the number of windows, the better. Keep in mind that there is little or no use of concrete. Instead, go with local, natural materials such as compressed earth blocks if choosing a home in the western parts of Telangana, like Zaheerabad, and towards Bidar. If you are choosing to build a home in Mahbubnagar or Chevella, opt for local rock blocks. Lime and mortar should be the preferred choice, says Ramamurthy.
• Roof not ceiling: Flat ceilings are obtrusive in nature and unnatural for a secluded home. If you need the feel of a holiday home, you need a roof and not a ceiling.
• Weather, soil conditions: Before purchasing land, ensure that it is not prone to waterlogging. When the soil gets damp, it would not be a good decision to use cement and brick, but stones. A stony landscape can be very difficult, so choosing the location is key.

Take your pick

• Vikarabad: This dry-deciduous landscape is rich in red soil, vegetation, grasslands and trees.
  It is 80 km from the city
• Chevella: This scrubland is known for its banyan trees and the soil acts as a great binding agent for building with rock blocks. It is 55 km from Hyderabad
• Narsapur: This region is home to a deciduous shrub forest with natural teak plantations and grasslands. It also has many water bodies. Here, one can build a perfect cabin in the woods. Narsapur is 60 km from Hyderabad