The story began with a dream and a barren patch of land. With no source of water, our only opportunity was getting the rainwater to stay on our land. We started rainwater harvesting. We also remodelled the path of flowing rainwater to create a lake. The result? Increased ground water levels, more moisture in the soil and consequent reduction in intake of water by our plants.

Next, we moved to paint the land green. We grew dense border vegetation using native shrubs and some fast-growing creepers alongside large, flowering and fast growing trees. To ensure our land remained green, we grew ground covers comprising a variety of flowering, ornamental and shade loving shrubs and large leafy varieties of creepers.

Going a step further, we began growing our own food, organically. We planted some fruit trees (like badam, chiku, jamun, guava, pomegranate), some veggies (like bottle gourd, eggplant, tomatoes, raddish, garlic, spring onions), some leafy greens (like spinach, methi, coriander) and some herbs (like basil, ajwain, lemongrass, meswak, bilipatra). We were determined to keep our farm chemical-free and so we made organic compost with the kitchen waste while neem leaves became our herbal pesticides.

When we began constructing our abode, we focused on our singular need – to be able to enjoy being outdoors and feel the sense of freedom that city life failed to offer. Hence, we built no walls. We designed a glass house with verandahs, decks and balconies eliminating the distinction between the inside and the outside.

We chose minimalism as our design approach. We used no embellishments, no cladding materials of any kind to keep it quaint and aesthetic. We elevated the upper level with the help of steel beams and columns in a record single day! The entire structure was designed to ooze fluidity with seamlessly enwrapped interior and exterior spaces for indulgence and relaxation.

Shoonya is a surreal reality now that has become a source of inspiration for thousands to turn their dream of nature living into reality. In turn, what was simply a dream abode for us has now become our inspiration to build more nature-driven, dweller-oriented homes for the like-minded.