A pool. The horizon. Oneness with nature

By Annie Aggarwal

Photography: Photographix India; courtesy SHROFFLEóN

Read Time: 2 mins 

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Aurelia, a weekend home perched on a hill on 3-acres of land in Alibaug, becomes a perfect getaway with an infinity pool that extends into the horizon…

An addition to the original house built a decade ago, the pool harbours a two-bedroom guesthouse underneath. Designed by Mumbai based firm SHROFFLEóN, the extension uses the water element in the most intriguing way, to make it an abode of relaxation and peace.

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Built into the hillside with an expansive forest in view, the 75-foot long infinity pool offers a visual treat and relief amidst an envelop of nature. The pool extends into infinity on all sides, spilling into a continuous water channel at a lower level. The smaller water body, black tiled, provides a bold addition to the otherwise subtle façade in glass.

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On the southern side, forming a backdrop for the glass-enclosed living room below, part of the pool cascades to the floor beneath, into an 8-inch black water body meant for sun lounging. Flowing across dressed random rubble masonry, the water creates ambient white sound, soothing and relaxing, a true sensory treat.

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The pool turns into another smaller water body to surround a seating area on a wooden deck. Textural elements like pebbles, stone and tiles create a balance of soft and hard landscape. The upper level extends to accommodate landscaped lawns and a barbecue pit housed in an eco mesh, which in time would transform into a ‘house of purple flowers’, again reinstating the overall structure’s oneness with nature.

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A straight open staircase from the ground floor patio forms part of the northern elevation of the extension and gives access to the pool above. The 2000 sq. ft. home is enclosed in glass, blurring the boundaries between the interiors and natural landscape outside. The subtle colours and lighting with wooden flooring in the interiors are harmonious with the surroundings and yet an epitome of comfort and opulence.

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The firm’s attention to detail is evident even from the tiny glass walled Juliet balcony at the ground floor that overlooks the surrounding forest.

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Apart from the ingenious pool design, a balanced composition of all elements at the upper level deck and the house below exude a sense of luxury and tranquility, and offer seclusion and privacy making the guests feel right at home at Aurelia.