Located in India’s bustling Hyderabad, Collective Project’s Lakehouse affords its owners a respite from urban life. Sitting at the peak of a steep rocky slope, Lakehouse overlooks the Durgam Cheruvu Lake.
While the property is firmly embedded in the heart of the city, one of its great qualities is that it feels entirely removed from the restless hub which can be seen across the lake. HiTec City, the nucleus of Hyderabad’s activity, is a main feature of the panoramic view from Lakehouse’s huge windows.
The building looks out onto the Durgam Cheruvu Lake from three large teakwood portals that rotate and shift to frame unique views. While the lake-facing side of the property is kept open, the street-facing facade and sides are clad with slabs and thin ribs of local grey granite to create a subtle play of shadow while maintaining privacy from the neighbours.
Lakehouse is an experiential project, the transition between wet and dry being an integral part of the narrative. From the road, the building appears solid and heavy, concealing the panoramic view with lush greenery foreign to the hot and dry climate of the city. As one passes through the house, however, the trees disappear to be replaced by the dry rocky landscape of Hyderabad as well as the panoramic view of the lake.
Great design has the power to completely alter the way we view its surroundings. Lakehouse gives the perfect example of this power: despite being in the thick of the hot, humid hum of Hyderabad, it offers a cool and spacious sanctuary, framing the natural beauty of the area and using the less favourable aspects of the landscape to its advantage.
Photography by Benjamin Hosking.
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