Shell house is placed in the core of Osmanabad city in Marathwada region of Maharashtra, where it rains sporadically and once was a part of Hyderabad state of Nizam.

When this house’s proposal came to us, it was partially completed where the framework with some brickwork was done. Basic challenge of this house was, how to intervene being an architect with an understanding of all insights and forming a prominent identity following contemporary needs of the society.

Process of design was further complicated when clients brief came to us stating a needful house to be constructed with a space for their pets which includes, a place for a horse, cow, goats, rabbits, dogs etc. It had become a challenge for us to find an appropriate definition of a space for all.

The design started with the separation of an L- shaped plot in three major parts, which held a. a house, b. garden, and c. an irrigated farmland with a space for all animals. Whole image of the house is conceived as a shell where multiple layers separate the spaces allowing different experiential moments through variety of volumes. This extends the journey towards the house.

Talking about experiences, at the entrance of this site, one gets welcomed by an open court with a long extended brick wall, which connects to the entrance of the house with a projecting perforated canopy. Once you enter inside the house, veranda at the entrance secludes from an outside world, which connects to the sky by the presence of a court. This experience further extends to the bell door, which holds an attraction in this space. Major phenomena of this house is such that one accesses outside a. in the garden and b. in the farm space from inside where pavilion or a veranda space plays a key role to hold the separation as well a connection together at a time. The core of the house contains needful spaces for cooking, dwelling and entertainment while a layer outside with various courts holds an activity of meeting with outsiders; dinning space etc. while third layer of veranda penetrates into the nature.

The whole identity of this house brings in a character of shell; hence, this validates the name shell house.