Concept

The emerging concept echoed the early watch-huts that studded the Dry Zone, built on trees or silts by "Chena – Cultivators" to protect their crops from animals. It also recalled the platform of logs erected on a massive "Kumbuk" tree overlooking the Village tank ( lake ) from which Hema, over 50 years ago, surveyed the distant herd of elephants ambling to drink and splash in cool clear waters watched by monkeys on the fringe of trees.

These memories prompted the design of similar "decks" amongst a tangle of branches to catch the first dappled rays of the early morning sun, to capture the strain of birdsong at dawn and to observe the awakening of the surrounding wilderness. The evening sunset yields to the darkness of the night, transforming the perfect but hectic day spent in exploring cultural sites, to a flickering world of fireflies under a star-lit sky with a stillness punctuated by the hoots of an unseen owl.

The haven encapsulates all this. Under the un-erring "inner eye" of the Architect, the once dreary landscape has sprouted to be the lush

forest-covered glades of the distant past. Guests are received with traditional hospitality in an ambience created with a fusion of appropriate materials, spatial sensitivity and a mosaic of inter-linking perspectives. Consequently the spirit of place outweighs and goes far beyond all

pre-conceived notions of cosmetic vernacular. The retreat is wholly true to itself and promotes in even a casual visitor a sense of belonging that is essential to comfort, enjoyment and nostalgic memories