Wallmakers, an innovative architecture studio, has completed an extraordinary weekend home called Bridge House in rural Karjat, India. The remarkable structure spans a seven-meter-deep gorge and features a distinctive exterior covered entirely in furry thatched scales that resemble a pangolin's armor.
The project presented significant challenges from the beginning, as the site consisted of two separate parcels of land divided by a 30-meter-wide spillway. The design required sufficient height clearance for construction equipment to pass underneath while connecting the two land areas. Principal architect Vinu Daniel explained that transporting materials to the remote location proved extremely difficult, forcing the team to utilize locally available resources.
"From the outset, the project seemed to be burdened by a lot of constraints," Daniel told reporters. "The brief was for a large 418-square-meter home with four bedrooms, but even the transportation of basic materials was difficult in that region. The two parcels of land had to be connected, but the foundations couldn't rest within the 30 meters width of the spillway, and there had to be enough clearance for a JCB to clean the two streams underneath."
The innovative solution involved creating a minimal steel structure that serves as the home's backbone. Steel beams and arches form the core framework, anchored by four strategic footings that provide the necessary clearance from the spillway below. A twisting, hyperbolic paraboloid surface created by a grid of steel cables covers this structure, which was then coated with a protective layer of mud.
The mud coating serves multiple purposes in the design. It provides essential compressive strength to stabilize the bridge structure while acting as a natural barrier against pests that might otherwise burrow through the outer layer. The final exterior layer consists of thatched local grass arranged in scale-like patterns, creating the distinctive pangolin-inspired appearance that gives the house its unique character.
Daniel addressed the challenges traditionally associated with thatched construction: "Thatched roof construction, even though sustainable and thermally efficient, has been on the decline due to problems like pest invasion, lack of skilled labor, deforestation and the hassle of constant reapplication. However in this particular project, the new avatar of thatch-mud composite has been able to remove all the chinks in the armor."
The interior layout maximizes the bridge's unique form and location. The central span contains an elongated living space positioned beneath a large open oculus that allows natural elements to enter the home. Two angular, two-story volumes at opposite ends of the bridge house the four required bedrooms. A distinctive prow-like glazed volume contains the kitchen and dining area, offering panoramic views of a triangular swimming pool and the surrounding forest.
Throughout the interior spaces, the mud coating remains exposed, creating a seamless blend between walls and ceilings that forms cocoon-like environments. The surfaces bear the distinctive diamond-grid imprint of the underlying steel framework, adding texture and visual interest. Traditional Japanese-inspired translucent shoji screens divide various interior areas, while two sections of netting adjacent to the main living space create hammock-like relaxation zones.
Wallmakers, established by Daniel in 2007, has built a reputation for innovative and sustainable architecture projects. The studio has previously completed notable projects including a home featuring perforated walls made with discarded toys and an arts center topped with a roof that doubles as tiered seating. However, Daniel faced some criticism on social media in 2023 regarding the studio's use of unpaid internships, which he defended as having important educational benefits.
The Bridge House project demonstrates how architectural constraints can inspire creative solutions that work in harmony with local materials and environmental conditions. By combining traditional thatching techniques with modern structural engineering and mud construction, Wallmakers has created a home that is both environmentally sustainable and visually striking, proving that innovative design can emerge from challenging circumstances.
