Fact File
Location: Uttarakhand
Size: 1160 sq m
Principal Architects: Pradeep Kodikara, and Jineshi Samaraweera
Photographs by: Akshay Sharma
The Kumaon by Zowa Architects is a vernacular and highly contextual hospitality design project, situated on a sloping, terraced site with breathtaking views of the alpine Himalayan landscape. This small hotel in Uttarakhand is situated at 1600 metres above sea level in the village of Kasar Devi, near the charming town of Almora. The hotel is named after the region it is situated in, one of breathtaking beauty filled with abundant mountains, valleys, forests, and scenic lakes. Almora has long been a favourite tourist destination for locals escaping the punishing Delhi summer as well as foreigners. Access to the site is via a slightly steep track off the main road. This village road stops about 250 metres from the site, and the rest of the way is via a narrow walking track. The hotel staff meets you at this point and relieves you of your bag and baggage, making the rest of your walk much more pleasant. You also have the option of making the short trek on horseback. The sloping site is terraced, which is typical of agricultural plots in this area, and is composed of two parts: a small half-acre plot at the top of the site, which we used to situate the service facilities, and a two-acre plot, separated by a small strip of common land.
The programme included 10 rooms, lounge and dining facilities, a library, a spa, and other services. We decided to design the rooms in pairs, one atop the other, and scatter them across the site at different levels. This was partly to reduce the bulk of the building and also to reduce the overall footprint of the development. The lower chalet was built out of stone quarried from nearby, while the walls of the upper chalet were built out of fly ash bricks and clad with bamboo sticks to facilitate a sense of lightness. The main building is situated on the highest point of the site, while the ground level is the main entry foyer that houses a lounge, library, and administrative facilities. The first floor houses a dramatic steel cantilevered dining room with an axis vista towards Nanda Devi, India’s second-highest peak. The roof of the lounge also serves as a terrace for outdoor dining and yoga spaces. The approach to the hotel is through a small gate from the footpath and a walkway arches towards the main lounge (the first entry point to the property for the visitor). A row of planted bamboo trees is used to cover the view of the chalets beyond and obscure the mountain views, heightening the sense of expectation.
Local pinewood was used extensively, from floor finish to doors and windows. Even the furniture was designed and made on-site. The local craftsmen were employed to make copper and stone accessories for the chalets. Almora has a fine tradition of weaving, and all the woollen fabric for bedding and furnishings was custom designed and produced locally. The overall finish is one of rustic simplicity, highlighting the local materials. The concrete soffits are kept unplastered, much like the fly ash walls, and finished simply with just a coat of paint inside. In the chalets, a bed, table, and seat were designed as an island unit and finished in smooth cement render. The toilet walls are finished in “kadappah“—a black stone cut into tiles. The terraces and balconies, on the other hand, were paved with Kota—a popular and cost-friendly Indian granite, which has a texture and tactility akin to smooth cement. All the structures were designed for optimal rainwater harvesting, with a drainage system taking the water to a large holding tank at the bottom of the site. The hotel plans to replant seasonal crops in the terraces and leftover spaces and then use the produce for its kitchen. Overall, we attempted to highlight the stunning natural landscape and focus on the mountain views while paying homage to local materials, tradition, and culture.
Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
The link between the two main areas, the one closest to the entryway with the bar counter and lounge and the one at the rear reserved for aesthetic treatments, is a decorative feature with a great scenic impact: a series of deep blue glass portals guides the gaze towards the beauty area, giving the space perspective depth and a theatrical feel. This liminal space also houses the boutique and the facial bar, functions that will cater for a passing public and have faster times than the more complex treatments, as well as delineating the perimeter of the two lounges. “The management of flows and technical spaces,” the architects tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.” cts tell us, “was especially complex. The brief for both Ballard & Fant’s identities were quite specific and binding, so the phases of the choice of space and the layouts of the areas were the most challenging points in the whole project.”
Image caption, harmoniously combine two usually distinct indulgences
The choice of materials and finishes was in keeping with this chromatic landscape. “Through the moodboard we visualized the allure of the space,” explains Pennesi. “An interplay of alternations between more or less tactile surface textures, contrasting colors and opaque and translucent finishes that create intriguing peep-through effects.”
This led to the choice of stoneware tiles by Ceramica Sant’Agostino, which deck the floors and bar counter with their dense and uniform speckled pattern and bind together the different areas into which the space is divided, wth laminates from Arpa Industriale and Kaindl, used respectively for the support surfaces and the structures of the bespoke furnishings.
“We chose these materials for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Aesthetic because this type of semi-finished product has color ranges that enabled us to make choices consistent with the palette we created; and practical because they are wearproof materials and ensure easy sanitization. In particular, Fenix, a special laminate we used to coat the counter top, with a surface that has a non-porous outer layer, makes the material easy to clean and suitable for contact with food as well as fingerprint-proof and pleasant to the touch.”
Even the lighting was curated in detail, helping create a pleasant and richly detailed environment. Bellhop cordless table lamps designed by Barber & Osgerby for Flos, illuminate the tables with their discreet light. Suspended above the bar counter is a spectacular suspension composition created with a series of “leaves” in Diphy polycarbonate. Designed by Mirco Crosatto for Stilnovo, it was inspired by a fascinating Japanese plant, whose flowers turn as transparent as crystal in contact with water.
