City dwellers have been retreating to farmhouses and holiday homes in leafy suburbs and the countryside, away from urban bustle and polluted air. Serving as a portal to a better quality of life, these homes enable residents to spend time with their families, entertain guests, and reconnect with nature.

The Covid-19 pandemic has spurred digital nomadism and remote working, and people have become conscious of the value of living and working from a spacious home, adopting a lifestyle that aligns with their dreams and aspirations. People today are looking towards the top architects in India to design these second homes for rest and rejuvenation.

This landscaped zone accommodates multiple recreational functions, serving as an extension to the living area. These recreational areas include a DJ deck, a small pool house and a treehouse-like machan. <rt-red> The house converges around the idea of living in harmony with nature, facilitating fluid transitions and providing its residents with a sanctuary to unwind in and connect with the outdoors. <rt-red>

The Stepped House is a holiday home sitting on a hill slope within the lush green tea estates of Coonoor. The brief called for building a house in the hills, as a retreat for a couple and their children. We derived the design concept from its context, <rt-red> integrating site and weather conditions and the ubiquitous beauty of the surroundings with indigenous building vocabularies and materials. <rt-red> The pandemic has evolved our notions of living and there has been a clear shift towards investing in experiences that are unique and personalised, making them a part of our daily lives. <rt-red> Whether we go back to "normal" or not, the idea of investing in a "second" home remains highly popular. <rt-red>