Text description provided by the architects. Aqua is a modern cave that blends cohesively with the overarching hills, perfectly interacting with nature on one side while still allowing for privacy. Aqua preserves and nurtures the locals with its choice of material, its building process, and its elevated wellness experience in the wilderness. The fluidity of the form flows from the exterior to the interior walls, creating movement between different spaces.
The major difficulty in the project was to arrive at a construction technique to build the parametric roof form. We were working with a local contractor who had never worked with this method. This way of building with ferrocement seemed the most judicious way forward, given the vision and the responsible use of available resources. Aqua achieved a reduction in carbon footprint and minimal waste generation by pairing complex construction techniques with locally available resources. For example, we deployed the local stone masonry technique to elevate the overall structure. The roof is made with ferrocement, which was unique to the local contractor. Yet adapted to it with an open mind. The path toward Aqua was a pragmatic one; we educated the local community with a unique skill set that could serve generations to come.
The land on which the site is placed had a very gradual gradient, primarily flat. But in context to the neighboring structures and road, it was low. Therefore, we placed the spa and changing room at the lower level and the pool at the higher level. You could go down to the changing room directly from the road for a person who is familiar with the property or go to the pool level for the guest. It’s very windy in this area, so orienting the pool and the cave reduces the wind effect. The pool location was determined towards the south such that it received maximum sunlight through the day, and coincidental benefit was the uninterrupted views of the hills.
