Design firm: The Local Crew
Project Name: Parallel Territories
Location: Babariya Village, Gir Gadhdha, India
Size: 696 square meters

On the outskirts of Gir National Park in the Indian state of Gujarat, The Local Crew has designed a private residence that coexists with wildlife migration routes without disrupting the animals' habits. The residence maintains a distinctly contemporary architectural style. The development occupies a plot of land planted with mango trees and traversed daily by animals and herders on their way to a water source located within the property. The project aimed to preserve the site's deeply rooted ecological routines as far as possible, redefining its position in relation to these routes while observing them as a silent observer. The T-shaped, box-like volume, constructed from steel, glass, and local stone, ‘floats’ amongst the vegetation, suspended on eight concrete pillars that restore continuity to the ground and emphasise the composition's contemporary character. While the angular, rational geometry establishes a clear and deliberate distance from the surrounding vegetation, the large openable glazed surfaces and elevated outdoor spaces — from the swimming pool to the accessible roof — blur the boundaries of the built environment, reorganising the domestic experience around the backdrop of surrounding wild nature.