This wildlife retreat in Nagpur is built using rammed earth construction technique

Rammed earth is gaining traction as a key design element in both commercial and residential projects.

Tipai a wildlife retreat in Yavatmal is tucked deep into the periphery of Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary. The villas have dome-shaped roofs and large floor-to-ceiling glass doors, yet it blends in with the terracotta-coloured landscape surrounding it. If you pass by and don’t look closely, you might not even see it. Why? Because its designer, Ariane Thakore Ginwala, constructed it partly out of earth. Tipai is built using rammed earth, a construction technique that dates back 8,000 years.

Back to earth

The ceiling is made up of a series of burnt clay cups inserted into one another. This technology is called vault roofing.

Interestingly, rammed earth building technique uses a material that’s as old as time itself — earth. Rammed earth architecture is the art of designing and constructing buildings, especially walls, by ramming a mixture of sand, gravel, silt, and clay into place between formworks. Concrete is used sparingly for waterproofing and structural strength. “The whole idea was to build a sustainable building using extreme localisation and personalisation. Rammed earth construction worked out the best as it uses the soil of the land with very little cement and other aggregate to build the walls. This technique of building also helped to keep the rooms cooler,” says principal designer Ginwala.

Instead of importing labour from elsewhere, locals were trained in the intricacies of rammed earth construction and masonry. During excavation the team also found massive stones that were used as foundation and boulders to make roads in the property. Another unique element of Tipai is the ceiling which uses a series of burnt clay cups (something like kulhads) inserted into one another. This technology is called vault roofing and was developed by Centre of Science for Villages (CSV) in Wardha, 80 km from the site. The conical tiles are made of mud and unlike other materials (concrete and steel), it can be recycled. The disaster-proof technology (against earthquakes and floods) is also highly labour intensive and generates employment for local potters.

Buildings account for a significant proportion of carbon emissions in two ways: The energy they consume to operate (heating, cooling and lighting) and the energy required to construct them, known as embodied carbon. According to Architecture 2030, a New Mexico based non-profit organisation that is working to reduce carbon emissions, embodied carbon from the building industry accounts for 11 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Concrete, iron, and steel are carbon-intensive materials to produce. The production of cement which goes into concrete accounts for eight per cent of global carbon emissions whereas global steel production accounts for seven to nine per cent of carbon emissions.

Could rammed earth construction be the next big thing? Ginwala thinks so and there’s no question it is gaining traction as a key design element in both commercial and residential projects, literally connecting them to the land on which they are built. It’s been that way for thousands of years. Famous rammed earth structures include the Alhambra in Spain, large swathes of the Great Wall of China and Morocco’s Casbah Caid Ali — all of which demonstrate its practicality, versatility and durability. More recently, the visitors centre in Auroville designed by architect Satprem Maïni is considered a masterpiece of rammed earth architecture.

Sustainable beyond straws and bamboo toothbrushes

Building a sustainable luxury retreat in the drought prone Yavatmal which has one of the highest rates of farmer suicides meant dealing with an acute shortage of water. Goa-based permaculture expert Parag Mody spent five years rejuvenating the land and planting around 5,000 native plants. But before that the land was spruced up with biomass made from the wild lantana and tulsi that was growing in the property. Strategically placed waterbodies and a robust rainwater harvesting system also helped. Additionally, each villa has its own underground rainwater-harvesting tanks, which individually serves the villas. The property has managed to collect a whopping 25 lakh litres of water in the underground tanks.

Perch, the all-day dining restaurant at Tipai.

At Tipai, you can get back to nature in more ways than one. The property does everything it can to reduce its carbon footprint, including installing 200 KV solar panels for its energy consumption, buying locally and employing a large number of locals. “There is nothing you can do about the environment without looking after the local economy. The biggest stakeholder in the environment are the local people, even bigger than the forest, the trees and the animals. So, the idea is to skill the local people with the help of technology and create local champions, focus on communication rather than language skills and deliver a personalised holiday,” says Keyur Joshi, founder of Tipai — Wildlife Luxuries, and previously the co-founder of MakeMyTriptravel company. Joshi intends to bring attention to Yavatmal a district with one of the lowest per capital incomes in India and to the neglected Tipeshwar Wildlife sanctuary rather than add to the clutter and strain of Tadoba a popular wildlife destination in Maharashtra.

Balancing nature with luxury

Floor to ceiling glass walls lend a feeling of openness at Tipai.

If the environmental creds of Tipai aren’t convincing enough, it’s also an incredibly beautiful property. The villas with their floor-to-ceiling glass walls and sheer curtains offer complete seclusion and total immersion in their surrounding untouched wilderness. The jaw-dropping interiors include furniture carved from refurbished wood, handpainted walls and gorgeous banana-fibre lamps shaped like flowers. The walls reverberate with Shyama Sarabhai’s paintings on tree barks and dried and pressed leaves framed into beautiful wall art. But the pièce de résistance is the humungous bathroom (bigger than most city homes) and capacious veranda for watching monkeys chase each other through the canopy.

The sun-soaked verandah at Tipai.

Dedication to hyper localisation is found at every corner, from the tea to the toiletries which have been sourced from small batch boutique brands. Even the curtains in the villas are made of Magan Khadi — handwoven fabric from cotton from Wardha, Maharashtra. But at the heart of the retreat is Palaash, a regional cuisine restaurant led by renowned chef Amninder Sandhu and her all women's team. Dinners here are carved from vegetables grown on the property, masalas ground on sil batta (stone grinders), cooked on open fire and served under the stars by local women trained by Sandhu.

The spacious bathroom at Tipai.

A typical day at Tipai might include a walk around the property with a naturalist, fishing in the lake, tracking tigers in the Tipeshwar forest or crafting your own pizza. As the sun goes down, wash off the day with the solar-heated water or take a dip in your own freshwater pool (devoid of chlorine) framed by the forest and the sounds of nature. Other tantalising options include a soothing massage at the spa, followed by dinner under a star sprangled sky at Palaash.

Palaash at Tipai

FACT FILE

How to get there: Tipai is 2.5 hours’ drive from Nagpur airport.

Price: Rs 50,000 onwards plus taxes for two with all meals.

Best time to visit: October to February.

Book a call: +91 8779819701