Ten recently completed unusual Indian houses

With a 12-storey home in Mumbai gaining attention, we've put together a roundup of Indian houses recently featured on Dezeen that depart from the norms of residential architecture.

Architects in India have increasingly sought to experiment with the form of the conventional house in recent years, to the extent that unusual homes have become a notable trend in the world's most populous country.

Read on for 10 examples from Dezeen's archive: Sarvasva, Mumbai, by Spasm Design

(Photo by Jacob Nedumchira / Photographix India)

This 12-storey tower by Indian studio Spasm Design contains a single family home.

Created to stand out amid its dense urban setting, it is wrapped in a rainscreen of terracotta panels.

Despite its loftiness, Sarvasva is not the tallest house in Mumbai.

Chuzhi, Tamil Nadu, by Wallmakers

(Photo by Syam Sreesylam)

While the architects of Sarvasva did their utmost to make the project stand out, others have sought to design homes that are almost invisible.

For example, Wallmakers describes Chuzhi as "camouflage architecture". The house is partially embedded in a steep site, while its living spaces spiral around the trees and rocks that were already present.

Pott House, Hyderabad, by Kiron Cheerla Architecture

(Photo by Vivek Eadara)

Extreme heat is become an increasing challenge in many parts of India, and in response, Kiron Cheerla Architecture gave this house in Hyderabad a lantern-like roof that draws in natural ventilation, as well as light.

Toy Storey, Kerala, by Wallmakers

(Photo by Syam Sreesylam/Althaf Rasheed)

Also by Wallmakers, Toy Storey is characterised by the use of approximately 6,200 discarded toys in its construction.

The circular building is wrapped in a perforated wall composed of compressed stabilised-earth blocks, Managolore tiles and toys thrown away in the local area.

The Infinite Rise, Tamil Nadu, by Earthscape Studio

(Photo by Studio IKSHA)

Another circular house with an unusual outer structure, The Infinite Rise is encased in a gabion wall in which large rocks from the surrounding area are suspended.

Designed by local architecture practice Earthscape Studio, the holiday home is organised around a stepped, sunken pool at its centre.

The People Tree House, Noida, by Archiopteryx

(Photo by Andre J Fanthome)

Architecture studio Archiopteryx prioritised water collection when designing The People Tree House.

Topped with a rooftop splash pool, the home was arranged around a central cylinder containing an elevator and a spiral staircase.

A curved ramp on the roof collects rainwater in a tank that is conveyed below ground via a bright red pipe running through the middle of the house.

The Wendy House, Kerala, by Earthscape Studio

(Photo by Syam Sreesylam)

Located within a dense forest, The Wendy House was designed by Bangalore practice Earthscape Studio to stand out while not requiring any trees to be cut down or the use of concrete and steel.

Enclosure, Gujarat, by Design ni Dukaan

(Photo by Ishita Sitwala)

Multidisciplinary studio Design ni Dukaan took an inside-out approach to this house as a consequence of the client's "complete disinterest" in how it would look from the outside.

Asmalay, near Mumbai, by Blurring Boundaries

(Photo by Inclined Studio)

Asmalay is another home on this list that is wrapped around existing trees. It is defined by organically undulating forms throughout and uses recycled materials such as glass bottles in an interior wall.

Gadi House, Maval, by PMA Madhushala

(Photo by Hemant Patil)

A screen of wavy perforated brick and stone encases this house, designed by architecture studio PMA Madhushala.

The home's unusual features are not confined to its facade. Internal courtyards sit at each of the four corners, while winding top-to-bottom through its centre is a sculptural staircase finished in blue plaster.

Ref: Ten recently completed unusual Indian houses (dezeen) Photo Credit- Hemant Patil, Inclined Studio, Ishita Sitwala, Syam Sreesylam, Andre J Fanhome, Studio IKSHA, Syam Sreesylam/ Althaf Rasheed, Jacob Nedumchira/ Photographix India, Vivek Eadara