A modern holiday home in the Himalayas built on a hill

modern architect house rajiv saini himalaya hill © Sebastian Zachariah

The architecture office of Rajiv Saini was commissioned to design a modern vacation home that owners can enjoy on weekends away from Delhi, where they lived. The site is a private hill in the Himalayan Mountains, near the city of Kasauli, India.

A modern holiday home in the Himalayas

modern vacation home rajiv saini himalaya hill landscape

The terrain where the holiday home is located is narrow, so the house spreads from south to north. So that you don’t see a row of cars in front of the house on the little hill, the architects embedded a garage in the hill. From there you can either use the wooden stairs or the open hydraulic lifting platform, via the wooden bridge to the front door.

A modern holiday home by Rajic Saini with concrete walls

modern holiday home rajiv saini himalaya terrace design tiles © Sebastian Zachariah

As the architects were supposed to be working with a very limited area of the flat land, building a modern 4 bedroom vacation home for the clients was a real challenge. Instead of creating a simple two-story structure in this steep landscape, they decided to build different wings from the house along the hills – one to the east and one to the west, which then ends with a terrace deck at a higher level. A small area of overlap between the two parts of the house allows vertical movement between the two floors.

Facade with asymmetrical construction

modern vacation home rajiv saini himalaya geometric accents © Sebastian Zachariah

As a result, go around the hill and see the upper eastern volumes first, and only when you go around the northern tip does the lower western side become visible. A concrete roof resembles de origami folding and was inspired by the hilly mountain ranges. The upper floor comprises the entrance hall and two bedrooms, the living and dining room and kitchen.

Living room and dining area

modern holiday home rajiv saini living room dining area © Sebastian Zachariah

The lower western volumes include 2 bedrooms, a multimedia room, storage room and a small room for massage and steam bath. The bedrooms and bathrooms are arranged in each wing as a series of independent structures and all open onto the wooden terrace.

Relaxation area with floor-to-ceiling glass windows

modern holiday home india himalaya untreated concrete walls © Sebastian Zachariah

Teak wood was used for the flooring in the rooms, while the ceilings and walls flaunt untreated concrete. A freestanding fireplace with a copper chimney separates the living room from the dining area. The large viewing platform is a few feet higher than the house and offers a breathtaking view of the snow-capped peaks on the northernmost tip of the hill.

Untreated concrete walls and ceilings