Tilak wada, Sinhagad, Pune

The Tilak Wada is one of the few places on Sinhagad fort where campers, trekkers and families can stay overnight. It is an extremely old structure, built in the 19th century.

The original structure was build with black stone procured from the site itself and mud mortar. It had two layers of mud plaster and lime paint. However, over time, additions and alterations were made to the bungalow in an ad hoc manner. Toilets that were added in the rooms lacked natural light and ventilation. The north side veranda was converted into a toilet block, while the newly added flooring proved to be slippery during the monsoons due to high amount of fog and dew. The leaking roof and rusting metal roofs added to the maintenance of the bungalow.

As part of the renovation, all old walls of the structure were retained, and new additions were carefully removed. The original plan of the house, having verandas on all sides was retained. The mud plaster was scraped off and replaced by lime plaster, as the clients demanded a maintenance-free finish.

As part of renovation strategy, the 'L'-shaped plan was completed to form a rectangle, with a central courtyard. New requirements such as a kitchen, dining hall and caretaker's residence were added in the newly built walls - with stone, bricks and lime mortar.

BEFORE RENOVATION

Slippery stone floors in rooms, leaking roofs

Dormitory for stay

Outer view of courtyard with different roof eaves levels

Mud lime plaster that was cracking / peeling off the walls

Dark, dingy toilet spaces that compromised on light and ventilation of the rooms

Outer view of old house

Common toilets in north veranda

Dining area outside the house (near rear courtyard)

Slippery veranda spaces

BEFORE: PLAN

Plan of the old wada, showing additions that were made later (marked in red). The additions were made mostly within existing veranda and room spaces, which compromised on the natural light and ventilation. The dining shed was disconnected from the building.

AFTER: PLAN

All original walls and openings were retained, while a few spaces including dining, toilet block, kitchen and utility were added (marked in orange). As a result, an open air central courtyard (marked in green) was formed, flanked by verandas on three sides.

AFTER: ELEVATIONS AND SECTIONS

The courtyard and the verandas surrounding the rooms helped in facilitating natural light and ventilation in all spaces

Material palette

Foundation and plinth: Stone masonry in lime mortar

Walls: Stone and brick in lime mortar

Finishes: Lime plaster and pointing

Flooring: Terracotta floor tiles, ceramic tiles for wet areas and verandas

Roof: Timber frame with metal sheets. Most of the timber is reused from the old dismantled structure

AFTER RENOVATION

Outside view post renovation

Airy and well ventilated rooms were the topmost priority for the renovation

Room walls were replastered using lime and jaggery + hirda, while retaining old elements like niches

Finished veranda with reused timber, anti-skid tiles. Conscious effort was made to retain the spirit and feel of the old verandas

New courtyard and dining areas that double up as recreation areas for larger groups

Front yard of the house with sit-out and temple

Additional mezzanine space in one of the rooms. Wooden catwalk ladder designed from leftover repurposed wood

Repaired and reused doors and windows

Renovated toilets

Project details

Design and execution team: Priyanka and Dhruvang

Year of completion: 2017-18

Client: Shailesh, Mukta and Kunal Tilak

Masonry and Carpentry team: Prabhakar Sutar, Datta Sutar

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