Urban Nest Design Studio layers stone, water and light at Vedalila house

Rafael CunhaARCHITECTURE20 hours agoShort URL

Rear sandstone facade, balcony and pool at Vedalila house

Urban Nest Design Studio has completed Vedalila, a weekend house near Ahmedabad shaped by sandstone walls, water courts and a sequence of interconnected spaces.

Built on a 350 square yard plot, the 5,500 square foot house is organised around a mature neem tree and a lily pond. The arrival sequence turns these existing natural elements into a calm threshold between the street and the interior.

Sandstone facade of Vedalila house shaded by a mature neem tree — The street facade is shaded by a mature neem tree retained on the site. © Umang Shah Photography.

Entrance courtyard of Vedalila framed by dark timber gates — Dark timber gates frame the transition into a planted arrival court. © Umang Shah Photography.

A house organised around water and shade

The ground floor brings the living, dining and drawing rooms into direct contact with the garden and swimming pool. Large glazed openings allow the spaces to operate together during gatherings, while deep reveals and planted edges temper the strong Gujarat sun.

Stone steps rising beside planted terraces and arched openings at Vedalila — Stone steps, terraces and deep arches extend the landscape into the house. © Umang Shah Photography.

Glazed living spaces opening onto the garden at Vedalila — Glazed living spaces open directly onto the garden. © Umang Shah Photography.

At the centre, an east to west double height living room draws daylight through a circular skylight. The room is treated as a shared volume rather than a corridor, giving the plan a visual anchor and connecting activity across levels.

Double height living room with suspended lights and a circular skylight — A circular skylight draws daylight into the double height living room. © Umang Shah Photography.

Interior workspace set against a random rubble sandstone wall — Random rubble sandstone gives the interior a tactile, geological character. © Umang Shah Photography.

Vertical connections shape an adaptable plan

Three staircases create distinct routes through the house. One descends to an active basement with its own entrance, where a floating bridge crosses water beside a sunken courtyard. This lower level can function independently while remaining linked to the main living spaces above.

Top view of the staircase and water crossed by a floating bridge — A floating bridge and stair connect the active basement with the ground floor. © Umang Shah Photography.

A suspended play net and the open stair make circulation part of everyday occupation. On the upper floor, three master bedrooms occupy a more private realm, while an angled volume and a gazebo project towards the landscape and pool.

Swimming pool beside Vedalila sandstone facade — The swimming pool acts as an anchor for the home’s social spaces. © Umang Shah Photography.

Arched opening and deep stone wall inside Vedalila — Arched openings reinterpret vernacular forms in a contemporary interior. © Umang Shah Photography.

Random rubble sandstone masonry gives Vedalila its dominant material language. Sloping walls, arches, deep openings and louvres work with the stone to produce shade, texture and a sense of enclosure without isolating the interiors from the garden.

Bathroom with sandstone wall and daylight from above — Daylight enters the bathroom above a sandstone feature wall. © Umang Shah Photography.

Project Credits

Project: Vedalila
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India
Plot area: 350 square yards
Built up area: 5,500 square feet
Design firm: Urban Nest Design Studio / @urbannest_designstudio
Photography: Umang Shah Photography / @umangshahphotography
Photoshoot styling: Studio Kanan Shah / @studiokananshah