Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
3 min of reading 
0 comments 
In the hills of Karjat, India, the Bridge House uses the bridge format to overcome a 7-meter gorge, preserve the flow of two streams, and transform access and material limitations into a four-bedroom residence made with mud, steel, and straw.
A 30-meter bridge supports the Bridge House in the hills of Karjat, India, where Wallmakers created a four-bedroom residence over two streams and a 7-meter gorge, using mud, steel, and straw.
Bridge transforms difficult terrain into a habitable solution
The house was designed to occupy two pieces of land separated by water action. Instead of filling the gorge or interrupting the streams, the project extends over the void, maintaining the natural flow below the construction.
The solution also addressed a practical constraint: the foundation needed to be 30 meters from the width of the spillway because a JCB excavator would be used to clear the built area. In hill terrain, logistics drastically limited the choices.
-
Spain and Portugal are on land that rotates slowly in a clockwise direction, moving a few millimeters per year due to the collision between the African and Eurasian plates, according to a study that mapped with unprecedented precision the tectonic tensions of the Western Mediterranean.
-
XPeng promises to deliver the first hybrid flying car at scale in 2027 in China, with a foldable aerial module that attaches to the conventional electric car and thousands of preliminary orders already made by the subsidiary AeroHT before the start of production.
-
After decades of dirt roads, SC-370 of Corvo Branco receives asphalt between Urubici and Grão-Pará, closing one of the wildest state roads in Brazil, with 180-degree curves, 90-meter vertical sandstone rock walls, and fog that obscures visibility at an altitude of 1,470 meters.
-
3,000-ton robotic mega-submarine operates at depths of up to 4,000 meters in the Persian Gulf to repair pipelines without divers, using hydraulic arms, sonar, high-precision cameras, and underwater laser welding technology.
Wallmakers also faced another obstacle: within an eight-kilometer radius, practically only wild grass was available as a building material. Transporting conventional inputs to the site would be difficult, which turned scarcity into the starting point of the design.
How the bridge was built with only four foundations
The structure of the Bridge House was organized from four hyperbolic parabolas supported on only four foundations. This arrangement reduced interference with the natural contours of the streams and allowed the house to cross the terrain without heavily occupying the ground.
Steel tubes and tendons were used to provide tensile strength. Meanwhile, mud and straw took on the role of supporting compression weight, forming a composition that combines simple techniques, available materials, and structural calculation.
The result is a 4,500 square foot, or 418 square meter, residence that seems suspended over the landscape. The bridge allows water, relief, and vegetation to remain perceptible under the house, instead of disappearing under a conventional foundation.
Pangolin-inspired roof aids in thermal comfort
One of the most striking elements is the thatched roof, inspired by the scales of a pangolin. The choice is not just for aesthetic purposes. The roofing contributes to thermal insulation and passive cooling, keeping a large-span structure light.
The layer of mud applied over the thatch also played a decisive role. It was used to prevent rodents and other pests from burrowing into the roofing, a problem that had reduced the popularity of thatched roofs in the region.
With this combination, the house preserves a local construction solution but adapts the system to the demands of a contemporary residence. The lightness of the roof also helps explain how the project achieved great extension with few foundations.
Internal spaces take advantage of height, light, and ventilation
Inside, the elevated position defines the experience of the environments. The Bridge House includes four bedrooms, a kitchen, dining and living areas, as well as a shower and bathroom that open to the outside, with decorative pools nearby.
The central courtyard received a net oculus, allowing the entry of sun or rain and providing shading. This opening reinforces the direct relationship between the house and the climate of Karjat, without abandoning the necessary protection for everyday use.
The windows were positioned to maximize natural light and ventilation. In some areas, floor-to-ceiling panels expand the views of the landscape, making the bridge not just a structural solution, but also the main resource for integration with the surroundings.
The residence also maintains connections with external areas and includes a pool in the complex. By crossing the gorge without blocking the streams, the Bridge House transforms a complex terrain into functional housing, combining shelter, landscape, and low physical impact on the original relief of the area and the local watercourse.
Be the first to react!