Royal Aratt Resort

India, 2020
Back to the Roots

A deep valley leading to a waterfall, the scent of frankincense, the call of woodpeckers - a setting where architecture dissolves and nature leads the way.

At Royal Aratt, drawings were a formality; the design emerged through direct engagement with the land. Walking its gradients with an ecologist, we traced paths, studied biodiversity, and marked each post and pillar in careful dialogue with roots and rocks. No trees were cut; instead, cottages and roads wove around them, shaped by the terrain itself.

Inspired by the lightness of bird structures, the design employs slender steel columns and minimal concrete, anchoring the buildings on stilts. These foundations double as retaining walls, preventing erosion and protecting the mountain roads. Above, large pitched roofs shed the monsoon rains, while floating slabs, generous decks, and glass walls open to sweeping views of the valley and canopy.

The result is a retreat that feels inseparable from its setting - a delicate balance of structure and landscape, where architecture listens more than it speaks.