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Hillside and Coastal Masterplanning Designs

bySAV Architecture and DesignTakes projects across India; Studios in Goa and LondonStarts from₹1,80,000 per acreView full gallery

We approach hilly and coastal sites not as obstacles, but as the primary inspiration for our designs. Our masterplans utilize natural contours to minimize earthwork and maximize view corridors.

A perspective of the Dona Paula masterplan, showing how the villas are nestled into the sloping terrain. The dynamic, shifting roof forms are designed to create a unique skyline while providing shade and capturing sea breezes for passive cooling.

This view highlights how the road network in the Dona Paula masterplan follows the natural contours of the hill. The architecture steps down the slope, ensuring that each home has an unobstructed view and a direct connection to the surrounding tropical environment.

An aerial view of the Dona Paula homes, showcasing the unique hexagonal cutouts in the roof structures. These openings allow for rooftop gardens and light wells, bringing nature directly into the home and breaking down the mass of the building.

The Moira Homes project, seen here at dusk, sits atop a gentle slope in Goa. The design uses the elevation to its advantage, creating terraced levels that give each home privacy and an expansive view of the landscape.

The entrance road to the Moira Homes winds along the base of the slope. The retaining walls are built from local stone, grounding the modern architecture in its context and managing the level differences across the site.

This rendering shows the seamless connection between the interior living spaces and the outdoor pool decks at the Moira Villas. By stepping the villas down the slope, we created private outdoor areas that feel like a natural extension of the home.

This sectional drawing of the Dona Paula masterplan reveals how the homes are embedded within the hillside. The design minimizes excavation by splitting the levels and stepping the foundation, a sustainable approach that respects the site's natural form.

A detailed cross-section of a villa in the Dona Paula masterplan. The drawing shows how we use carved courtyards and split levels to bring natural light and ventilation deep into the lower floors, even on a steep, challenging site.

The site plan for the Dona Paula masterplan shows the arrangement of modular house typologies along the site's contours. This strategic placement ensures that every plot benefits from the natural slope and views towards the sea.

A satellite image indicating the location of the Dona Paula project. The site is a prime coastal plot with a significant slope, providing the perfect canvas for a masterplan that cascades from the mountain to the water.

About Harmony with the Land: Hillside & Coastal Designs

When working on slopes, the biggest mistake is fighting the terrain with massive retaining walls. Instead, we use a 'stepped typology' approach. By split-leveling our housing modules to match the natural gradient, we significantly reduce civil excavation costs while ensuring that every unit captures an unobstructed view of the valley or sea.

Expert masterplanning for India's challenging slopes. — Approved by the tribe
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SAV Architecture and Design

Takes projects across India; Studios in Goa and LondonStarts from ₹1,80,000 per acre

We are SAV, a team operating between London, Mumbai, and Goa, obsessed with the way architecture intersects with natural terrain. We don’t believe in cookie-cutter developments; we believe that if you look closely enough, every slope and coastline tells you exactly how it wants to be built.

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A collage showcasing different facets of the Club Mahindra Resort in Tungi, Lonavala. The design uses natural stone and timber to mirror the dry, rural climate, while carefully detailed wooden overhangs provide shade and frame the stunning landscape views.7
The Club Mahindra Tungi Resort, a lakeside retreat designed to be shaped by its landscape. The structure sits quietly overlooking Pawna Lake, with angled roofs and expansive windows that draw the scenery inward, creating a seamless connection between the built form and the natural terrain.
An architectural section drawing of the Club Mahindra Tungi Resort. This illustrates how the building is sited on the sloping terrain to maximize views of Pawna Lake while minimizing its impact on the landscape, with elevated walkways connecting different levels.
The serene courtyard of the spa at Club Mahindra, Lake Pawana. The design uses water as a reflective surface to amplify the sense of peace, with minimalist white colonnades and strategically placed greenery creating a tranquil, enclosed world for relaxation.

Designing Resorts That Live With the Landscape

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IMK ArchitectsTakes projects across India; Visit offices in Mumbai & Bengaluru
This clubhouse design creates harmony through contrast, juxtaposing nature and structure. The floating pavilion and terraced water features are crafted to create levels of peace without disturbing the land’s natural topography, offering a journey through a serene landscape.17
A seamless spatial progression defines this clubhouse, where double-height volumes open to expansive outdoor views. The architecture is designed to integrate the built and natural environments, creating dynamic levels within a lush, green setting complete with a waterfall feature.

Terrain-Responsive & Sustainable Design

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Jugal Mistri ArchitectsTakes projects across Mumbai, Goa, and Delhi NCR
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The architectural plan and 3D visualization for the La-Sierra twin villas in Lonavala. The design features spacious layouts with front and rear decks, providing about 45 families with a luxurious and comfortable living experience amidst alpine meadows.
A frontal view of the La-Sierra twin villas. The design uses a combination of stone, wood-finish panels, and large glass windows to create a modern yet warm aesthetic that blends with the natural surroundings of Lonavala.

Luxury Villas and Hillside Residential Design

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A Cube ArchitectsTakes projects across India; Visit office in Navi Mumbai
We believe a home should feel like it has grown from the land itself. For Villa Uma in Alibaug, we designed a collection of simple forms around an introverted garden and a linear pool, creating a tranquil sanctuary that responds to the picturesque views of the distant Kankeshwar hills.8
Our work in the Himalayas involves creating architecture that respects the scale and spirit of the mountains. These guesthouses in Panchachuli are built with local stone and topped with traditional thatch roofs, designed to offer serene refuge with staggering views of the snow-capped peaks.
The line between inside and outside is intentionally blurred in our designs. At Villa Uma, we used deep, earthy red plaster walls and large openings to connect the dining space with the surrounding landscape, creating an atmosphere that is both elegant and deeply relaxing.
We see landscape not as a backdrop, but as an integral part of the home. At Villa Toshi in Alibaug, years of collaboration resulted in a recalibrated building where rooftop gardens and lush greenery cascade down the structure, merging the home with the expansive view.

Our Architectural and Design Projects

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Case DesignTakes projects across India; Visit Design Studio in Saki Naka, Mumbai
An aerial perspective of our Blushing Pines Retreat in Bhowali, showing how the multi-level structures are nestled into the hillside to maximize views and minimize environmental impact.12
A view from below, looking up at the wooden-clad exterior of the homestay as it peeks through the lush green canopy. This showcases our approach to nature-inspired home design.
The indoor pool is a key feature of the homestay, designed with a wood-paneled ceiling and expansive glass walls to create a luxurious, all-weather space with stunning forest views.

Boutique Hillside Architecture and Design

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Design By MetaTakes projects across India; Visit studio at Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi
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A residential landscape we designed, carefully weaving paths and structures around existing old-growth mango and tamarind trees. Our goal was to enhance the space while preserving the majestic trees that define it.
Another view of the residential landscape, where the architecture is nestled within the lush, established garden. The building occupies the space below the canopy, respecting the presence of the mature trees.
A conceptual diagram showing the four pillars of our 'Sacred Forest' design: Blue (water management), Green (native planting), People (interaction), and Biodiversity (attracting local species).

Architecture in Nature's Embrace: Design That Resonates

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Sejpal and Parekh AssociatesStudio in Mumbai; takes projects across India

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