Karjat, Maharashtra, India

Set amidst the hills of Karjat, the Bridge House occupies a site divided by the TATA spillway stream, which cuts a seven-metre-deep gorge through the landscape.

While the dramatic terrain presented significant design challenges, these constraints ultimately became the catalyst for an innovative architectural solution.

The project required connecting two parcels of land without placing foundations within the 100-foot-wide spillway, while maintaining sufficient clearance below for maintenance vehicles to access the streams.

Limited availability of local building materials further shaped the design approach, with wild grass emerging as the site’s most abundant natural resource.

The resulting concept is a 100-foot habitable suspension bridge composed of four hyperbolic paraboloid forms.

Minimal steel pipes and tensioned cables provide tensile strength, while a composite shell of thatch and mud delivers compressive stability. The lightweight structure spans the gorge with just four foundation points, minimizing its impact on the natural terrain.

Nestled among the trees, the bridge blends into the surrounding landscape like a cocoon. Its layered thatch envelope, inspired by the scales of a pangolin, provides effective thermal insulation and passive cooling, while a protective mud plaster enhances structural performance and prevents pests from penetrating the thatch.

Together, these materials eliminate the need for a conventional vertical suspension tower, allowing the structure to integrate seamlessly with its environment.

The farmhouse features an open-plan layout organized around a central oculus that functions as an open courtyard, bringing natural light, rain, and views of the sky into the interior.

Four bedrooms are positioned to overlook either the surrounding forest or the stream below. Jute screens, mesh partitions, and flooring crafted from reclaimed ship-deck timber complete the restrained material palette, underscoring the project’s commitment to adaptive reuse.

More than a response to a challenging site, the Bridge House demonstrates how architectural innovation can emerge from constraint.

By combining vernacular materials, structural ingenuity, and environmental sensitivity, it creates a dwelling that is both deeply connected to its landscape and exemplary of resourceful design.

Project Name: Bridge House
Office Name: Wallmakers
Completion Year: 2025
Program / Use / Building Function: Habitable Bridge – Residential
Lead Architects: Vinu Daniel, Preksha Shah
Junior Architects : Ramika Gupta
Photographer: Iksha