Salban – Baihar, Madhya Pradesh, Architecture by M+P Architects

Salban - Madhya Pradesh - Meghana Kulkarni

The project is a 5000 sq. ft. bungalow near Kanha national park. Aim was to create a quirky colonial style bungalow using minimum RCC, providing large covered verandahs, all using the locally available material, expertise and labour. All this, keeping in mind a tight budget.

Foundation and walls were constructed using locally available brick with mud mortar. The soil required for mortar was acquired from the site itself which was tested. Roofing frame was partly in locally available seasoned Sal wood and partly in MS with marine plywood boarding and clay tiles. This site is within the buffer zone of Kanha national park, so the building was planned such that it doesn’t stand out from the surroundings.

salban-madhya-pradesh5

salban-madhya-pradesh6_r1_1280

The split roof is a predominant character of the  tribal houses. The house was planned in an existing clearing between sal plantation such that the trees become a backdrop to the house. The verandah has a view of the forest nearby as well as a beautiful old mahua tree which is a seasonal treat. The contractors and labour were all local residents. They were expert builders in brick and mud construction, but had had to be trained in some techniques such as building arches. Our clients: Sheema and Anirudh have moved there permanently and have opened their house for guests looking for a cozy forest experience.

Project facts:

Area: 5000 sq ft
Team: Pooja Chaphalkar, Meghana Kulkarni, Rajalakshmi Deshpande
Clients: Anirudh and Sheema Mukerjee
Structural consultant: Himanshu Tulpule and associates.

One Response

  1. Really liked the architecture of the colonial bungalow near Kanha National Park.
    I have recently bought 1.5 acre land in similar location in Kanha and looking for an architecture firm to design a similar colonial style bunglow for me.
    Appreciate if someone can provide me contact details of M+P Architects.
    Thanks
    Ram Kulhare
    9766280566

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent

Kirtee Shah on architecture profession at CEPT University alumni meet

“… the way architecture [profession] is perceived and practised, it needs to move from the pedestal to the ground.”—Kirtee Shah

In his presentation at the CEPT Alumni Meet, in January 2026, Kirtee Shah offers “something to think about” for the architects and planners regarding the future of architecture profession. He urges architects to relearn and refocus on service, sustainability, and inclusivity while addressing urban chaos, poor housing, rural neglect, and climate challenges.

Read More »
Folles de la Salpétrière, (Cour des agitées.) (Madwomen of the Salpétrière. (Courtyard of the mentally disturbed.))

Gender. Hysteria. Architecture. | “How Did a Diagnosis Learn to Draw Walls?”

Did these spaces heal women or teach them how to disappear? Aditi A., through her research study as a part of the CEPT Writing Architecture course, in this chapter follows hysteria as it migrates from text to typology, inquiring how architectural decisions came to stand in for care itself. Rather than assuming architecture responded to illness, the inquiry turns the question around: did architecture help produce the vulnerability it claimed to manage?

Read More »

Featured Publications

New Release

We Are Hiring

Stories that provoke enquiry into built environment

www.architecture.live

Subscribe & Join a Community of Lakhs of Readers