carapace house by achyutam designs carves into tubular concrete volumes in india

achyutam designs completes carapace house

On the outskirts of Ahmedabad, India, Achyutam Designs’ Carapace House takes shape within a duo of monolithic concrete shells. The farmhouse replaces the familiar image of the home and its rectilinear plans and upright walls with two organic, sculptural forms — one of which houses shared spaces for living and gathering, while the other contains two private bedrooms.

Allowing this distinct tubular geometry to become the defining characteristic, the project’s material strategy remains consistent and direct, utilizing poured concrete shaped into curved profiles that eliminate the distinction between wall and roof. Cuts are also introduced along edges and at the core, carefully skewed to form arcing thresholds or open voids. These strategic openings also frame greenery, modulate light, and connect views across the property.

cuts along the concrete tubes open the house up to nature

The natural landscape becomes essential to the architectural experience of Carapace House. A meandering path lined with dense vegetation leads up to it, and along the way the monolithic structures are gradually revealed. Water features, trees, and arc-shaped corridors orchestrate movement across the site, while a series of nested outdoor areas such as courtyards, gazebos, a pool, and a barbecue area extend the living space into the garden. The architecture further participates in nature, offering a spatial reciprocity.

Achyutam Designs crafts the interiors to follow the same logic of material restraint and integration. Furniture is cast in concrete and integrated into the architecture itself, with beds, benches, and side tables emerging from the same surface language as the walls. The flooring is polished Kota stone, its muted, earthy tone reflecting daylight and echoing the subdued palette throughout. 

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project info:

name: Carapace House

architect: Achyutam Designs | @achyutam_designs

location: Ahmedabad, India