the ray villa by architecture brio peers through india's wild nature

architecture brio looks to alibag’s secluded coastline

Hidden among the tall grasses of a sea-facing hillside in Alibag, India, a plantation retreat dubbed The Ray, stands with design by Architecture Brio that is at once grand and sensitive to the wild landscape. The remote location can be discovered just south of Mumbai, its nearly untouched hills a welcome contrast to the urban density of the large city. Together with landscape architect Kunal Maniar, the design team seeks to celebrate the beauty of the land by dotting the hillside with the pair of dwellings — taking inspiration from the Portuguese chapels while likewise dot the coastal hills of Goa further south.

‘These chapels in their pure white brilliance do not shy away from their existence with their characteristic axial orientation and dominant silhouette,’ explain the architects. ‘Similarly, this retreat attempts to lend a comfortable scale to its surrounding landscape.’

image © Ashish Sahi | header video © Vinay Panjwani

the two residential pavilions of ‘the ray’

The defining feature of Architecture Brio’s villa The Ray is the humble silhouette it casts against the lush jungle backdrop. The architects divided the home between two linear pavilions, each carefully staggered to frame uninterrupted views of the landscape and the Arabian Sea beyond. These pavilions are crafted from ‘Dhrangadhra’ limestone, their white walls gleaming in the tropical sun. The deep-set steel-framed windows are filtered by white-painted timber shutters, offering not only shade but also a sense of connection with the distant, rolling surroundings. ‘They are strong manifestations that act as long spatial telescopes, bringing the distant sea views seemingly closer by,’ the team continues.

architecture informed by a lush hillside

The Ray villa occupies the rolling landscape with half of its rooms nestled within a solid, ‘hook’ shaped stone plinth, which Architecture Brio designs as both a retaining wall and a gardened rooftop terrace. This solid stone base anchors the villa to the hillside to lend a sense of shelter and protection while integrating itself into the natural scenery. Interstitial, stepping platforms descend along the slope to navigate the terrain and mirror the shifted architecture. An infinity pool envelops a shaded outdoor lounge and living area, its sinuous profile mimicking the meandering shoreline just a few kilometers away.

a curved pool surrounds outdoor living spaces | image © Ashish Sahi, interiors styled by Samir Wadekar
a sheltered living area opens on all sides to the distant hills | image © Randhir Singh
white limestone and deep-set windows frame sea views | image © Ashish Sahi, interiors styled by Samir Wadekar