Abandoned site offices in Pune become a mud-plastered holiday retreat
An Indian architecture studio has turned four derelict storage units in Pune into a cluster of guesthouses coated in mud and lime plaster, built around a communal swimming pool.
AKSH Architects, founded by Akash Shingvi, completed The Earthen Retreat on a 557-square-metre plot that had been occupied by site offices and storage units which had outlived their original purpose. Rather than demolish and start fresh, the studio kept the existing timber and steel structures of the old units and re-clad them. The four blocks were each divided into two neighbouring guesthouses and arranged symmetrically around a paved patio, with the pool at its centre. (Dezeen)
The studio conceived the project as a holiday home for the client, with a specific aim: making the sound of rain part of everyday living. Bamboo canopies over each guesthouse filter light and air, and the bedrooms and bathrooms are left partially open to the elements. (Instagram)
Inside, the walls and ceilings carry a textured lime-plaster finish in beige and dark green, with arched and curved openings throughout. Each bathroom includes a large oval-shaped bath and a curved opening into the shower area. Externally, the four units share a matching rough plaster finish, shaded by the deep overhang of bamboo roofs. (Dezeen)
What makes the project distinctive is its restraint. The studio did not import a new architectural language onto the site. It took what was already standing — ordinary sheds and offices — and reworked them with materials that have been used in Indian construction for centuries: mud, lime and bamboo. The result is a retreat that looks rooted to its location rather than dropped onto it.
The approach sits within a broader conversation in contemporary Indian architecture about working with existing structures rather than clearing sites for new builds. Lime plaster, a traditional finish made from crushed limestone, is increasingly favoured for its breathability and low environmental cost compared with cement-based renders. Mud plaster, similarly, has been used in Indian rural construction for generations and is valued for its thermal properties — keeping interiors cool in summer and warm in winter.
No construction cost has been disclosed. The client's identity has not been made public.
The project's emphasis on natural materials and partial open-air living places it in a growing body of recent Indian residential work that prioritises climate responsiveness over sealed, air-conditioned interiors. Pune, located in the western state of Maharashtra, experiences a monsoon season from June to September — which gives the studio's stated intent of incorporating the sound of rain a practical as well as a sensory dimension.
