Kumaon is a unique hotel located in Uttarakhand, India. This hotel is located 1600m above sea level in Kaser village near Almora town, designed by Zowa Architects. It is named after the area in which it is located, “Kumaon” – a beautiful forested and lake valley region. To get to the hotel, you have to go through a slightly steep trail off the main road, about 250m from the destination and the rest of the way is through a narrow village walking the trail.

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Kumaon is a unique hotel in Uttarakhand, India, located at an altitude of 1600m above sea level designed by Zowa Architects.

The sloping land that you see on the picture is terraced fields, typical of agricultural plots in this area. The special feature of the land is that it has both a vast view of the valley below and can capture the majestic scenery of the Himalayas 300km away.

The hotel is named after the area in which it is located, “Kumaon” – a beautiful forested valley and lake region.

The hotel is designed with 3 floors with 10 rooms, seating area, restaurant, library, spa and other services. The main building is located on the highest point of the site, the ground floor is the entrance, where there is a lounge, library, toilets and offices. The first floor has an impressive cast steel dining room, the roof deck becomes a terrace for al fresco dining and yoga. In particular, 3 sides of the dining room are clad with bamboo slats to reduce the visual impact of the bulky steel structure.

Pine, a popular local wood, is used to build most of the hotel, from the doors to the windows.

Pine, a common local wood, is used to build most of the hotel, from the doors to the windows. Even the furniture is designed and handcrafted. Skilled local craftsmen make bronze and stone fittings for the wooden houses. The town of Almora has a tradition of weaving so all designer fabrics for bedding or furniture are individually designed and locally produced.

3 sides of the dining room are clad with bamboo slats to reduce the visual impact of the bulky steel structure.

Even the furniture is designed and handcrafted, such as the designer fabrics for the bed, all locally made.

Patios and balconies are paved with “kota”, a popular and inexpensive Indian granite that has the texture and feel of fine cement. The concrete slabs are kept intact, the fly ash walls are also finished with just one coat of paint. The toilet walls are made of “kadappah”, a black stone cut into bricks to build…

The bedrooms are filled with natural sunlight and ventilation, even small details such as the relaxing corner by the window are taken care of so that they are poetic and romantic.

The overall structure of the hotel is designed to capture rainwater, with a drainage system leading to a large storage tank at the bottom of the site. The hotel plans to grow seasonal plants on the terraces and leftovers and harvest them to provide fresh green food for its kitchen.

A spacious bedroom with a balcony (the hotel also prepares binoculars) so that guests can fully admire the beautiful scenery outside.

The walls are covered with bamboo that has been treated for waterproofing and anti-mold, giving the hotel a rustic beauty and closeness to nature.

Imagine if we had the opportunity to spend a night at this hotel, to be able to see the beautiful twinkling stars in the deep sky, wouldn’t it be interesting?

Overall, the effort of the Zowa Architects team is to highlight the beautiful natural landscape, focus on the mountain views while also expressing appreciation for materials, traditions and local culture. side.