17/03/2026
PROJECT: Aegis House
A Contemporary Winter Dwelling in Kashmir Valley
Concept
Traditional winter houses rely on pitched tin roofs for snow shedding. Aegis House rethinks this approach by introducing a protective concrete frame that acts as a climatic shield, allowing the inner house to remain spatially (free) and expressive.
The idea is simple:
a house within a protective envelope — like a child within a mother’s arms.
Form & Massing
A grounded two-storey volume wrapped by a sloping concrete frame
Frame replaces the conventional pitched roof while managing snow and rain
Deep overhangs create buffer zones and semi-covered outdoor spaces
Spatial Idea
Inner volume: warm, transparent, human-scaled living spaces
Outer frame: strong, monolithic shell responding to climate
Clear contrast between lightness (glass/wood) and mass (concrete/stone)
Materials
Exposed concrete (frame + protection)
Local stone & brick (thermal mass)
Timber interiors (warmth)
High-performance glazing (views + insulation)
Climatic Response
Sloped frame handles snow load without traditional roofs
Thermal mass stabilizes indoor temperature
Transitional spaces act as microclimatic buffers
Statement
Aegis House reinterprets winter architecture—moving beyond conventional pitched roofs toward a more expressive, functional, and context-driven form, while remaining deeply rooted in the climate of Kashmir Valley.
