Moon Dust Residence
Madh Island, India
The Moon Dust residence began as a landscaping and interior furniture project that later developed into a complete renovation of a concrete-framed house. The bungalow originally had a swimming pool, a garage, and six rooms: one living room, three bedrooms on the entry level, and two bedrooms on the upper level.

Beginning as a traditional trabeated structure, plastered and painted, the bungalow was intrinsically altered in the renovation: intersecting arches of stone boulders and broken stone chips interfaced with the concrete frame, doors glazed with glass chips and colorful semi-precious stones replaced traditional doors, and a mural wall of mud brick in varying geometric patterns was built.

The bungalow's site faces the sea, and on its sea-facing elevation one sees an inclined wall intersescting the sloping roof, which then meets the floor of the backyard garden. Wooden trusses and struts (rather than steel, given the salt in the air) are used; the deep roof overhangs are supported by these wooden struts as they radiate from flowerbeds in the garden. The upper roof is, in turn, supported by wooden struts that rest upon the first story. The roof is clad in terracotta tiles, and terracotta pots also appear among the sculptures in the garden. A mother-of-pearl canopy covers the garden.

One of the most striking interior features of the bungalow is the staircase to the upper floor, which is built on an arch matching the intersecting structural arches of the house. The staircase has no handrail. There are likewise no closets in the upper-level bedrooms, but rather glass-chipped screens to partition the space. Closets were later added by the client.

The renovation of the Moon Dust bungalow lasted approximately ten years, during which time the architect would periodically return to the site and make design changes. As of February, 2008, the Moon Dust residence was renamed "Kino's Cottage," and serves as a venue for corporate parties.

Sources:

Hawker, Michael. 2007. "Celebrating the Works of Nari Gandhi." Friends of Kebyar: November 2007.
Location
Madh Island, Mumbai, Madh Island, India
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Associated Names
Events
1969-1978
Variant Names
Kino's Cottage
Variant
Dawood's Bungalow
Variant
Building Usages