Villa Prakriti sits on a hillside in Igatpuri with the Sahyadris rolling away and the Mukane waters catching the sky. unTAG, the Mumbai studio led by Gauri Satam and Tejesh Patil, shaped it with an easy confidence that comes from building a lot with little. Their work leans on climate sense, local craft, and plans that feel obvious once you walk them. This house is a clear distillation of that approach.

A plan that breathes and belongs

Instead of one big object, the home arrives as a few brick volumes tied together by verandas and open passages. You step from shade to room to shade again, always with a breeze finding you. The circulation is short and intuitive, the kind that keeps daily life simple. Rooms read at a human scale, yet long roof eaves and outdoor edges make the footprint feel generous.

Materials chosen for calm

Load bearing brick gives the walls a steady, tactile presence. Clay tiles cap dual pitched roofs that throw deep shade and handle the monsoon without fuss. Floors in cool local stone anchor your step. Inside, lime washed surfaces keep glare low so the changing light can do the storytelling. Nothing tries too hard. The palette is quiet and meant to age well.

Light, air, and views in balance

Openings are edited rather than multiplied. Smaller punctures protect rooms on the harsher sides, while broader frames open to the lake and the valley. Overhangs and simple screens manage heat without shutting out the outdoors. The result is comfort that does not rely on heavy systems. You feel the wind shift, watch cloud shadows move, and stay comfortable through it all.

Landscape as a gentle collaborator

The site is terraced lightly. Existing trees, including a cherished mango, are kept close to daily life. Stone paths thread small decks for reading, tea, or watching evening storms roll in. The house never tries to outshine the setting. It frames it, then gets out of the way.

Made for real routines

Villa Prakriti is built to be used, not staged. Covered outdoor dining works in sun and rain. Storage is tucked into thick walls. Balconies and porches become extensions of bedrooms and living spaces so mornings start outside and evenings end there too. It feels like a farmhouse renewed rather than a villa performing a role.

A small studio’s fingerprint

unTAG’s signature shows up in the clarity of the plan and the lightness of the touch. Founded by two Sir JJ College of Architecture alumni, the studio has built a reputation for homes that are climate first and maintenance light. They are not chasing trends. They are building places that work for years, with materials that feel honest in the hand.

Why this home matters now

As heat and rainfall patterns swing harder, Villa Prakriti offers a friendly lesson. Comfort can come from shade, mass, and cross ventilation. Character can come from brick and tile, not from excess. A small Indian practice has delivered a house that is modern without being cold, rural without being rustic, and sustainable without saying the word too loudly. It is the kind of project that reminds you architecture can be warm, clear, and deeply human.