AKSH Architects turns derelict Pune storage units into mud-and-lime guesthouses without demolition

AKSH Architects, founded by Akash Shingvi, completed The Earthen Retreat in Pune, India, on a 557-square-metre plot. Rather than demolishing four disused site offices and storage units, the studio retained their timber and steel structures, re-cladding them in mud and lime plaster — traditional finishes valued for breathability and low environmental cost. Four blocks, each split into two guesthouses, frame a central pool. No construction cost was disclosed.