Outhouse / MISA ARCHITECTS


© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah
  • Architects: MISA ARCHITECTS
  • Location: Vansajada, India
  • Lead Architects: Tarun Patel, Vipul Jiyani
  • Area: 4000.0 ft2
  • Project Year: 2016
  • Photographs: Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

From the architect. Outhouse: a visible invisible extension of nature
Seated amidst agricultural farmland, this weekend house brings harmony between the natural and the built environment.


© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

On the first visit to the site, the architect made up his mind to optimize on the setting of this project. Amid lush green farmland, away from the bustling city of Ahmedabad, this site offered a getaway into the serenity and vastness of nature.


© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

The design approach was to create an enigmatic feel by camouflaging the building with the background, which offered a matchless view of the horizon. The imagination was to bring life to a poetic expression: green grass below, and the blue sky above, and the outhouse at this threshold.


© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

Site Plan

Site Plan

© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

The outhouse plan comprises a series of courtyards and private spaces, connected through an immaculate passage. This project has a living area, dining, kitchen, master bed and guest room. The courtyards embed usable outdoor spaces like the patio, swimming pool, and the entrance vestibule.


© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

These fragmented semi-public, semi-private spaces are carefully positioned to create an array experiences while improvising on the ambiance. O The cantilevered deck turns into a pulpit in front of the graduating lawn space for audience seating.


© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

The swimming pool is designed with the right amount of privacy, with a handy private shower and powder room for guests. The rooms intentionally make for an inside out living experience. The deeply shaded openings in the north and east ensure thorough daylight and shelter from the weather.


© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

Sections 2

Sections 2

© Zurich Shah

© Zurich Shah

The exposed RCC ceiling is patterned with the bamboo curtains, with a complete green cover at the terrace. The building preserves water with its reverse boring to help recharge the ground water table.