Curvilinear community hub emerges from a steep coastal hillside, combining sculptural form with passive environmental strategies

Perched on a steep hill overlooking the Arabian Sea in Anjarle, Maharashtra, Crest Nine by Sanjay Puri Architects is a community centre conceived as a recreational focal point for a gated villa enclave. Designed to respond closely to the site’s dramatic topography, the building is embedded within the hillside rather than placed on top of it, allowing the architecture to appear as if it gradually emerges from the terrain.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

The site drops sharply from the approach road, and the building’s entrance is located six metres below road level. Visitors arrive by descending a broad staircase and a gently curving ramp that runs alongside a landscaped slope. This sequence leads to the project’s main circulation spine, which extends along the full length of the building and connects the various programmatic areas.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

The architecture is defined by a sweeping curvilinear plan that follows the natural gradient of the land. At the entrance, the form begins with a relatively simple curved façade before unfolding into a series of sculptural parabolic volumes of varying heights. These volumes are punctuated by courtyards and landscaped pockets, creating a rhythmic alternation between built form and open space that structures movement and views throughout the complex.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Within these parabolic structures are a range of recreational and hospitality facilities, including an indoor sports room, a gymnasium, a restaurant and bar, as well as four guest bedrooms. Each interior space opens onto generous curving decks that frame expansive views of the ocean to the west, reinforcing the building’s relationship with its coastal setting.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Above, a sectionally curved roof undulates across the composition. The roof rises prominently over the primary volumes and dips between them, helping define more intimate courtyard spaces below. Deep overhangs extend over the decks, offering protection from intense sunlight and seasonal monsoon rains while contributing to the building’s passive environmental performance.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

At the centre of the project, an open stairway wraps around a circular courtyard and descends to a lower level dedicated to aquatic and wellness facilities. This level includes three swimming pools, a health club and an open cafeteria that connects to a large multifunctional deck designed for natural ventilation.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Material choices further anchor the building to its context. The walls are constructed from locally sourced laterite stone, a material widely used in the region that lends the project both visual warmth and a strong sense of place. The roof structure consists of a metal framework finished with shingles.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Environmental considerations played a significant role in the project’s development. All interior spaces receive natural daylight, while nearly 70 per cent of the built areas rely on natural ventilation and operate without air-conditioning. The use of local materials and locally sourced construction labour also helps reduce the building’s embodied carbon footprint.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Through these strategies, the project aims to minimise lifecycle carbon emissions while maintaining comfort in the tropical coastal climate. The combination of passive cooling, daylighting and shaded outdoor spaces reduces reliance on mechanical systems.

Photo credit: Vinay Panjwani

Integrated with the site’s existing contours, Crest Nine is perceived not as a single monolithic building but as a cluster of interconnected volumes arranged across the slope. Landscaped open spaces weave between these structures, encouraging informal gathering, social interaction and flexible use. The result is a community hub that blends architecture, landscape and climate-responsive design into a cohesive recreational environment.

Sanjay Puri Architects

Sanjay Puri Architects have been ranked No 32 in Archello Amsterdam’s list of the Top 100 Architects worldwide. Archdaily, Architizer, New York, and WA UK include the firm in their lists of the Top 100 architects in the world. Sanjay has been on the juries of many international architectural festivals and awards. Currently, the firm includes a team of 108 professionals and is involved in over 200 projects in 55 cities. Evolving design solutions that are contextual and sustainable with architecture that explores spatial perceptions of innovative explorations forms the essence of the firm’s philosophy.