Three distinct properties in West Sikkim, vernacular farm houses with a design character. — DESIGNERDiDi

H o m e
A b o u t
D e s i g n S p a c e s

I worked with my team to create the Hatti Dhunga, Hee Patal, and Radhu Khandu, ancestral homes nestled in West Sikkim. These dwellings were restored with gentle and robust additions, to create new spaces and configurations using teak, stone, bamboo, and mud.

Sikkim’s topography and climate mean dwellings need to be strong and sufficient enough to withstand climatic change. All the properties we worked on here were renovated and reimagined using wooden framed structures and stone or concrete bases. The walls were created using layers of Igra, a process of bending bamboo tightly into the frame. An application of wattle and daub was also used together with cow dung, then layers of mud are gently wiped over before a final layer of lime plastering to finish the walls. All three properties have the original teak flooring which we painstakingly brought back to life. The roofs were created using a trusted system of corrugated sheets on a pitched roof.

With these properties, I was fortunate to be able to build and make new framed vistas which allowed the design to be controlled and simple. As a trained textile designer, to create these properties in Sikkim I made the most of including the use of local textiles and traditional design motifs, and as with all the design work I do, the creation of these dwellings were driven by the local ancestral functional design of the region.

https://www.ft.com/content/f9d46861-6dc6-472e-bb70-e988eec68818

HATTI DHUNGA PAINTING

HATTI DHUNGA PAINTING

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

KANCHENJUNG VISTA FRAMING THE MAKING OF HEE PATEL

KANCHENJUNG VISTA FRAMING THE MAKING OF HEE PATEL

REMADE KITCHEN DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

REMADE KITCHEN DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

RADHU KHANDU THE NEW BUILD

RADHU KHANDU THE NEW BUILD

RADHU KHANDU KITCHEN

RADHU KHANDU KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN BUILD

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN BUILD

HEE PATEL NEW OPENINGS

HEE PATEL NEW OPENINGS

DINNING AT HATTI DHUNGA .KANCHENJUNGA

DINNING AT HATTI DHUNGA .KANCHENJUNGA

KANGCHENJUNGA

THE BUILDING OF RADHU KHANDU

THE BUILDING OF RADHU KHANDU

SKETCH. DESIGN . BUILD. HATTI DHUNGA

SKETCH. DESIGN . BUILD. HATTI DHUNGA

HEE PATAL REMAKING MUD WALLS KITCHEN

HEE PATAL REMAKING MUD WALLS KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

RADHU KANDU MURAL

RADHU KANDU MURAL

HEE PATAL BEDROOM

HEE PATAL BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA NEW BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA NEW BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA DINNING ROOM

HATTI DHUNGA DINNING ROOM

DETAILS DINNING ROOM

DETAILS DINNING ROOM

BUILDING HATTI DHUNGA

BUILDING HATTI DHUNGA

HATTI DHUNGA ENSUITE BATHROOM

HATTI DHUNGA ENSUITE BATHROOM

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

THE MAKING OF DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

THE MAKING OF DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

SIKKIM ENDLESS VALLEYS

SIKKIM ENDLESS VALLEYS

HATTI DHUNGA FINAL ENTRANCE BUILD

HATTI DHUNGA FINAL ENTRANCE BUILD

HATTI DHUNGA PAINTING

HATTI DHUNGA PAINTING

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

KANCHENJUNG VISTA FRAMING THE MAKING OF HEE PATEL

KANCHENJUNG VISTA FRAMING THE MAKING OF HEE PATEL

REMADE KITCHEN DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

REMADE KITCHEN DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

RADHU KHANDU THE NEW BUILD

RADHU KHANDU THE NEW BUILD

RADHU KHANDU KITCHEN

RADHU KHANDU KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN BUILD

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN BUILD

HEE PATEL NEW OPENINGS

HEE PATEL NEW OPENINGS

DINNING AT HATTI DHUNGA .KANCHENJUNGA

DINNING AT HATTI DHUNGA .KANCHENJUNGA

KANGCHENJUNGA

KANGCHENJUNGA

THE BUILDING OF RADHU KHANDU

THE BUILDING OF RADHU KHANDU

SKETCH. DESIGN . BUILD. HATTI DHUNGA

SKETCH. DESIGN . BUILD. HATTI DHUNGA

HEE PATAL REMAKING MUD WALLS KITCHEN

HEE PATAL REMAKING MUD WALLS KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

RADHU KANDU MURAL

RADHU KANDU MURAL

HEE PATAL BEDROOM

HEE PATAL BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA KITCHEN

HATTI DHUNGA NEW BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA NEW BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA DINNING ROOM

HATTI DHUNGA DINNING ROOM

DETAILS DINNING ROOM

DETAILS DINNING ROOM

BUILDING HATTI DHUNGA

BUILDING HATTI DHUNGA

HATTI DHUNGA ENSUITE BATHROOM

HATTI DHUNGA ENSUITE BATHROOM

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

HATTI DHUNGA BEDROOM

THE MAKING OF DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

THE MAKING OF DINNING ROOM HATTI DHUNGA

SIKKIM ENDLESS VALLEYS

SIKKIM ENDLESS VALLEYS

HATTI DHUNGA FINAL ENTRANCE BUILD

HATTI DHUNGA FINAL ENTRANCE BUILD

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