BRUTALIST ODE TO NATURE

DMS House, Studio Saransh’s nature-inspired Brutalist home, is woven around nine neem trees in Ahmedabad.

Photo courtesy: Studio Saransh

Can Brutalism embrace nature so completely that it feels shaped by it? Studio Saransh’s MS House responds with a resounding yes. Conceived around nine mature neem trees, the residence demon strates how architecture can bend to ecological context while retaining a powerful design language. Every decision—from the site layout to the form, material palette, and interior detailing—emerges from the promise of preservation.

On approach, the house reveals its ethos immediately. The boundary wall curves to accommodate a tree trunk, while a low-hanging branch frames the entrance. A dramatic passage lined with square punctures filters dappled light across austere concrete walls, creating a choreography of shifting shadows. This corridor leads to the double-height central bay—the soul of the home—anchored by a neem tree that becomes the fam ily’s gathering point for tea and meals under its canopy.

Two wings extend from this axis: one housing the living room, verandah, and garden; the other containing the guest suite, kitchen, and auxiliary spaces. “Every element of this house is shaped by the site’s natural context and the family’s needs,” explains Malay Doshi, principal architect at Studio Saransh. “It embodies our belief that design must integrate function, individuality, and environment.”

 Above, the bay transitions into a study overlooking the dining area, while the bedrooms establish their own relationships with the surrounding trees. The master suite opens to a shaded balcony, the daughters’ rooms frame backyard views, and the rooftop terrace transforms into a social lounge suspended among the neem canopies.

The house wears its Brutalist identity proudly—textured concrete facades, deep chamfers, and bold geometries—yet the presence of foliage tempers its austerity. Wooden-strip textured concrete mirrors the bark of the trees, while square openings invite light, air, and glimpses of greenery. Over time, creepers planted along the parapet will cascade over the sharp geom etries, further dissolving boundaries between structure and landscape.

The landscape strategy amplifies this dialogue. A curated mix of tropical and native plantings adds depth to the neem canopy, a reflective water feature near the entrance introduces calm, and the rooftop terrace opens to expansive views beneath the open sky.

Inside, restraint becomes a language of luxury. Concrete, lime plaster, and grey Kota stone unify the spaces, creating a raw yet refined canvas. In the central bay, Kota flooring in a leather finish continues the linearity of concrete planks, while a custom rosewood dining table by TDW, teak-and-wicker chairs by Mistry at Finest, and a parametric lamp from Andlabs lend warmth and tactility.

 T he living room contrasts smooth plywood-cast concrete with Valsadi teak panelling, framing views of foliage through ribbon windows. Furniture selections blend iconic and custom: an Eames chair and Flos Arco lamp sit alongside a sectional sofa and an abstract Jaipur Rug. Bedrooms reflect their occu pants’ personalities, from the master’s terrazzo-detailed calm to the daughters’ graphite and sage green palettes.

 Bathrooms become architectural statements. The master ensuite is bathed in daylight from circular and square skylights, while the terrace powder room features floor-to-ceiling glazing that blurs the interior and courtyard, anchored by a sculptural ustom concrete basin.

 Beyond aesthetic decisions, sustainability underpins MS House. Orientation maximises light and ventilation; laminated glazing and cavity walls mitigate heat; solar panels power 70–80% of the house’s needs. Lime-plastered walls eliminate the need for synthetic paints, while leftover timber and marble are repurposed into bespoke furniture, ensuring minimal construc tion waste.

What distinguishes MS House is its balance: Brutalist geometries softened by trees, rigorous materiality paired with intimate customisation. “The level of curation—from the con crete textures and landscape to the smallest junctions—reflects VOL 7 ISSUE 6 seamless collaboration between our architecture and interior design teams,” notes Kaveesha Shah, Studio Saransh’s principal interior designer.

For Doshi, the project distills the practice’s ethos: “MS House shows what it takes to turn a Brutalist house into a home. Every choice is a conscious act of transformation, prov ing that architectural traditions can evolve with time, embrac ing nature without losing their essence.”

In Ahmedabad, where modernist legacies run deep, MS House emerges as a contemporary testament to Brutalism’s ability to coexist with nature—not in opposition, but in dia logue, where concrete and canopy entwine.