Weekend Homes are the New Holiday Destination, ARCLAIN Brings a Fresh Perspective to Holiday Homes

The advent of COVID has invoked a tectonic shift in our regular lifestyle. With several restrictions and limitations in place, people are still cautious about venturing out like pre-COVID times. But this persisting pandemic has accentuated the importance of home like never before. Today the home has transformed from a mere abode to a safety fortress, work zone, entertainment pad and many other things one can imagine.

Mr. Karun Muthanna and Mr. Khanjan Patel, Co-founders of ARCLAIN​

It has created a demand for homes with a bigger place that meets all family members' needs. With Work from Home or Work from anywhere becoming a regular feature has led to rise in the demand for weekend homes and farm homes far from the hustle-bustle of the city.

ARCLAIN Design Studio, one of India's leading architectural and design firms based out of Bangalore and Ahmadabad, is known for designing gateway homes, has suddenly been swarmed by several queries on weekend homes and farmhouses. Almost 15-20 clients have approached team ARCLAIN in the last six months to design and build getaway homes. In fact, over the previous quarter, they have been contacted by a dozen clients for such homes.

The firm has already taken up five similar projects, mainly in southern and western India, in the last 18 months, which are in various stages of completion. The projects include recently awarded two getaway home projects. Their new projects will be coming up in Goa, Sakleshpu, Kajarat and the outskirts of Bangalore and Ahmadabad.

To date, ARCLAIN has built over 10 gateway homes, out of which seven has come up in the last two years. Be it hill stations like Kotagiri in Nilgiri district or Lonavla in Maharashtra, the pristine beaches of Goa, tier two cities like Anand (in Gujarat) and Mandya in Karnataka or outskirt of Bangalore. The firm has designed and built holiday homes, weekend and farmhouses for its clients in these locations.

Speaking on the new trend Mr. Khanjan Patel, Co-founder ARCLAIN, said, "The concept of holiday homes, gateway or weekend homes are not new. They are always there, but the recent pandemic has revived the demand for this segment. The trend suggests working from home becoming a regular feature, and people are willing to go to the outskirt or a quieter destination to own a spacious place, far from the hustle and bustle of the cities."

He further added, "Wellness has taken centre stage in people lives. The need to unplug oneself from the daily chores and rejuvenate is quite essential. But with restrictions on travel, many have nowhere to go. It further adds up to the demand for such homes, where one can unwind and relax without the fear of contamination or health safety."

Speaking on a similar line Mr. Karun Muthanna, Co-founder ARCLAIN, said, "The prolonged restriction in movement, work from home option and no vacation has fuelled the desire of owning homes in holiday destinations or far away from cities cacophony for many. This phenomenon is quite evident in the last 10-12 months, as there has been a surge in demand for weekend and holidays home."

"The trend is catching up pretty fast not only with individual clients but also some developers are considering to create gateway homes under their banner. In the last couple of months, some developers have approached us for conceptualizing and designing holiday homes for their brands. Currently, we are also in touch with a couple of developers and evaluating the proposals, which are in various phases of discussion," he further added.

The Team ARCLAIN believes that this trend of the getaway homes will continue for a bit longer. It also workout as a long term investment plan, with people using it as a homestay or holiday home entirely or partly. You can call it homestay, holiday home, weekend home or farmhouse; the getaway home concept is here to stay for a long time. 

Some of the key getaway home projects of ARCLAIN

• Raven's Nest: Raven's Nest is a holiday home located in a ten-acre tea garden close to Kotagiri town in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu. Nestled in a lush tea garden, Raven's Nest is surrounded by silver oak trees and flowering plants. The ARCLAIN team created a 180-degree running water stream to have the sound of water in the property throughout the day.

• Chaletmonami: Team ARCLAIN create a lovely holiday home from an old ruined house, surrounded by tea bushes, with a steep tapered roof giving it the shape of alphabet A.

• Eshwar Farms: Team ARCLAIN converted a regular one-bedroom outhouse into a beautiful farmhouse with many reclaimed materials like doors and pillars to give it an authentic and traditional look. With a wraparound veranda and big windows with ledges - the focus was to bring nature inside the home. The property is designed in such a way that from the top, it looks like a keyhole. The landscaping and gardening are done in a very rustic way to give it a homely feel.

• Mandya Farmhouse: It was an ancestral property, spread over an acre, turnaround into a contemporary house with a traditional look and feel. Keeping the hot and dry climate of the place in mind, Team ARCLAIN used materials that will absorb the heat. Clay bricks (sun backed bricks) are used to do the entire project, and the roof is made from terracotta, giving it a feel of a Balinese type rooftop. At the same time, inside the home, it is ensured that there is a natural flow of air and light. The property also boasts modern amenities likes a swimming pool with a lovely landscape within the property. 

• Sakleshpur Valley House: It's a cosy two-bedroom private holiday home on 14 acres of a coffee estate situated in Sakleshpur. Team ARCLAIN has chosen a spot for the house near a natural creek within the estate, giving a view of the valley and natural vegetation around the property. It is designed in a traditional south Indian home style with an open porch and pillars. For which team has specially commissioned the pillars from Puducherry for the house.

About ARCLAIN

ARCLAIN is an Ahmedabad and Bangalore based niche design and architect firm with expertise in three verticals - architecture, landscapes and interior designing. It was established by two enterprising young minds Khanjan Patel and Karun Muthanna, in 2013, with the design philosophy of 'Sustainability, User-Friendliness and Minimal Maintainence'. In this short period, the firm has the privilege of working closely with big corporates and several individuals, creating some of the country's best designs. 

For more information, log on to www.ARCLAIN.com.