Serene and contemplative, Dua Villa offers an escape from the bustle of Mumbai, just half an hour from the city centre, yet worlds apart in experience. Set on a 5-acre plot in Awas village, 17 km from Alibaug, the site is split between a western orchard with 230 fruit trees and an eastern area of tall wild grass. Surrounded by low-lying paddy fields, the site floods during the monsoon. The home is designed to be both legible and full of surprises, inspired by abstract art. Two main axes (N–S and E–W) organise the house and connect it to the gardens. A cascading landscape works with site contours, offering framed views through orchard trees.
Defined by rhythmic arches along the main axes, the house blends with its environment via a deep verandah that acts as both threshold and shield. The structure is a monolith, wrapped inside and out in lime plaster, creating a unified canvas for interiors. A palette of rough stone and lime evokes timelessness. Floors contrast the minimal walls, using patterns of Indian and Italian marble and textured Kota stone for visual richness. Sculptural skylights create changing atmospheres throughout the day, bringing dramatic, diffused light into the otherwise horizontal volume. First seen through an arched opening along the main axis, the pool unfolds across three zones from a covered, courtyard to an open pool, immersing one in light, sound, and movement.
