hospitality / residential · Surgan · 2026 · concept

Ember Vale Retreat

A 20,000 sft retreat on 25 kanals in Surgan, Kashmir — 1-bed, 2-bed and studio huts with a restaurant, library and landscape held in the forest.

1858 m²

Brief

Retreat in Surgan, Kashmir. Plot size 25 kanal. Covered area 20,000 sft. 1-bed, 2-bed and studio huts, restaurant, library and landscaping.

Context

The response begins with the people who will use the project and the particular conditions of Surgan, Kashmir — its climate, surroundings and existing fabric.

Concept

Why it is designed this way

The response

The programme is spread as huts rather than one block. Restaurant and library sit as shared timber rooms in the trees; the huts — studio, one-bed, two-bed — step with the slope, linked by boardwalks and fire circles.

Final images

Architecture in use

Ember Vale Retreat glowing against snow and forest on the Kashmir hillside

Ember Vale boardwalk and huts at night with warm timber lighting

Ember Vale outdoor fire circle and timber lodge in the forest mist

Ember Vale restaurant, timber beams and dining tables looking into the forest

Ember Vale dining pavilion with floor-to-ceiling glazing to the mountains

Ember Vale library lounge with timber panelling and misted forest views

Ember Vale window seating and bookshelf looking into the pines

Ember Vale library tables, chairs and books against the forest glazing

Ember Vale common room with timber walls, chairs and a long forest window

Ember Vale interior with skylights, timber lining and a planted window bench

Ember Vale lounge with sofas, bookshelves and a circular ceiling light

Ember Vale hall with a fireplace and Mountain Bliss sign in timber

Ember Vale hut interior with a central fireplace and timber slat walls

Ember Vale studio hut with platform beds around a fire pit

Ember Vale Retreat interior, timber rooms opening to the Kashmir landscape

Sustainability + materiality

Designed for climate, nature and time

Passive strategies, durable materials and adaptability are treated as one lifecycle decision. The aim is comfort with less operational energy and an architecture that develops character as it ages.

Project information