Minimalist Sustainable Home Design: The Oblique House by Red Brick Studio

The Oblique House, designed by Red Brick Studio, is an exemplary minimalist sustainable home located in the serene region of Kamshet, India. Completed in 2024, this 150-square-meter weekend retreat was conceived as a functional yet elegant space, emphasizing sustainability, simplicity, and integration with the natural terrain.

A Vision for Minimalism and Functionality

The clients, a couple seeking a peaceful weekend getaway, envisioned a home that prioritized function over form while maintaining a sophisticated yet understated aesthetic. The result is a house that embraces honesty in design, frugality in material use, and intimacy with its surroundings.

Nestled on a sloping site overlooking Uksan Lake, the house was designed to work harmoniously with the landscape. Red Brick Studio preserved the flat portion of the site for an orchard and placed the home on the slope, ensuring minimal disruption to the terrain. The natural topography was cleverly utilized, tucking the house away from view at the entrance and seamlessly blending it into the environment.

Design Concept and Materials

The architectural plan of the Oblique House is a simple cruciform, with the central axis embedded in the ground and the perpendicular arm elevated on steel stilts. The use of poured stone rubble walls for the central mass allows the structure to emerge naturally from the earth, leading visitors down basalt steps to a striking red entrance door.

The house's tilt in plan ensures that the living spaces enjoy unobstructed views of the lake while aligning the bedrooms with the setting sun. Exposed fly ash masonry walls envelop the stilted portion, featuring strategically placed openings that frame the picturesque hillside and lake.

Interior Aesthetics and Comfort

In contrast to its raw, rugged exterior, the interiors of the Oblique House are warm and inviting. The walls are finished with natural lime plaster, providing thermal insulation during hot summers and enhancing breathability to prevent moisture retention. A central skylight floods the stairwell with sunlight, adding a sense of openness to the design.

The interiors are adorned with custom-designed furniture and artwork, all created by the client, reflecting their personal touch. The black floors and white walls provide a neutral canvas, allowing the vibrant colors of the furniture and art to shine. French doors, manufactured in-house by Red Brick Studio, open entirely to connect the indoor spaces with the outdoors seamlessly.

Sustainable Landscaping

The landscape design reinforces the project’s sustainability ethos. Hardy native trees and wild grasses were chosen over manicured lawns, ensuring minimal maintenance and harmony with the local ecosystem. Over time, the studio envisions the vegetation reclaiming the built structure, allowing the architecture to recede and nature to take center stage.

A Benchmark for Minimalist Sustainable Living

The Oblique House exemplifies minimalist sustainable home design, offering a thoughtful approach to contemporary architecture. By respecting the natural terrain, using locally sourced materials, and employing contextually appropriate technologies, Red Brick Studio has created a home that is as functional as it is beautiful.

This project is a testament to the studio’s commitment to crafting spaces that prioritize simplicity, sustainability, and a deep connection with nature. The Oblique House serves as an inspiring model for sustainable architecture in second-home tourism.

All Photographs are work of Hemant Patil, Sohaib Ilyas