On the outskirts of Hyderabad, where the rugged topography of the Deccan Plateau meets the expansion of the city, a new residence stands as a quiet critique of modern Indian luxury. Designed by the local studio Iki Builds, Aurva Illam—a name merging the Sanskrit for "of the earth" and the Tamil for "home"—eschews the sleek, high-maintenance glass and marble typical of the region’s new villas. Instead, it draws its identity from the geological character of its site.
The project is a deliberate attempt to "rethink modern luxury," according to Vamshidhar Reddy, the firm’s principal architect. Reddy argues that the prevailing architectural trend in the area relies on imported materials that ignore the local climate and landscape. By contrast, Aurva Illam is built from what Reddy calls the "actual bones" of the plateau: rammed earth, terracotta tiles, and local stone. The resulting structure acts as a physical extension of the landscape, a form of architecture rooted in the "memory of the land."
Structurally, the home is defined by a series of cascading, vaulted forms. Unlike the defensive, high-walled enclosures common in the neighborhood, the residence uses a stepped geometry to create a sense of openness. Private spaces, including bedrooms and a study, are perched atop communal living areas, all framed by thick, thermal-mass-heavy walls. This approach not only grounds the building in its environment but also offers a template for a regional modernism that values material honesty over globalized artifice.
With reporting from Dezeen Architecture.
Source · Dezeen Architecture
