A 1,000-acre Knowledge City is coming up in a lush, magnificent valley just beyond Pune-Mumbai expressway, which will also have a brand university of its own. Construction on the luxury project has already started, and a major attraction includes the Oxford Golf & Country Club, designed by US-based SB Architects. Phase-I will provide nearly high-end 300 resort residences.
With Pune's reputation as the eighth most populous metropolis, the cultural capital of Maharashtra, premier education hub, a popular tourist destination and IT hub, there is growing demand for luxury resorts.
The Lavale valley forms a steeply-sloped bowl that opens to the west, providing a stunning site for the golf-oriented community. The 18-hole golf course, laid out by golf course designer Phil Ryan of Pacific Coast Design, will fill the base of the bowl, offering golf frontage and views for the residences that step up the valley's steep slopes. By carefully clustering the residences on the lower slopes, the architects have been able to preserve the upper slopes, which are filled with natural vegetation, leaving them free from development.
Sited on the valley's eastern slope, with views encompassing the entire valley and the mountain range beyond, a rambling mixed-use resort complex provides a focal point for the valley. This resort complex, which includes a hotel element, spa, golf clubhouse, golf academy and sports facility, sits on the bowl's eastern face overlooking the course below. This unique resort feels like a small village terraced into the hillside—the tiered configuration emphasises terraces, courtyards and open-air spaces. The resort structures have been carefully assembled to follow the contours of the site. A separate 5-star hotel is planned as part of a later phase of development.
The 187 residential villas range from 2,500 to 10,000 sq. ft. There are a total of seven villa types, each designed in a modern interpretation of traditional architectural style -- Balinese, Malaysian or a rendition of a modern tree house, for example. Fourteen golf villas, housed in 4-storey condominium buildings, provide another residential option, and include two penthouses with roof deck pools and outdoor kitchens.
"We have worked to facilitate plumbing, mechanical and electrical systems that are different from those in the United States. It has been a tremendously rewarding experience for all of us," said Joseph Andriola, Vice President & Principal of SB Architects.