Rahul Mishra has taken couture off the runway and into the high ridgelines with his newest creation: Aatman, a design-led residence that allows luxury, craft, and nature to breathe together in one of the most fragile landscapes on earth. Opening for bookings by invitation only, it is not just a house but a philosophy in practice, an attempt to turn couture into a way of living.
Set 6,000 feet above sea level in Kalakhet, Uttarakhand, a sensitive eco-zone in the Indian Himalayas, Aatman marks the beginning of Rahul Mishra Spaces, the designer’s architectural extension. What he once expressed in embroidery, silk, and handwoven cloth now finds its form in stone walls, wooden beams, and glass expanses, each material chosen for its permanence yet arranged in a way that the building appears to rest lightly within the mountains rather than impose upon them.
Architecture Carved by Artisans
No trees were cut and no cliff faces altered; instead, the home follows the contours of the land, as though it has always been there. Each staircase, door frame, and chair is shaped by local artisans working on site, their craft transforming the house into a living record of their heritage. The textures inside are equally intimate: panels that echo the delicacy of couture embroidery sit alongside polished wood carrying the warmth of the hands that carved it, making the interiors feel both considered and alive.
Design That Breathes With the Mountains
At Aatman, sustainability is not an afterthought but the design’s very foundation. The residence follows passive house principles, its alignment at precisely 99 degrees east ensuring a constant embrace of daylight. Low-emission glazing and thermal chimneys regulate temperature, while natural cross-breezes drifting down from the ridgeline cool the interiors without the need for mechanical intervention. The vast panes of glass do more than frame the views; they dissolve the line between home and forest, so the rustle of leaves and the play of mountain light become part of everyday life.
A Living, Breathing Ecosystem
The house functions like a self-sustaining organism. Solar panels generate three times the energy consumed, rainwater is collected and returned to daily use, and organic waste is composted to enrich the gardens that supply the kitchen. Even the orchards and ponds serve a larger purpose: fruit is deliberately left for birds, water bodies provide refuge for wildlife, and every decision is made to create reciprocity between residents and the land. Nothing feels ornamental, yet everything has intention.
At a time when much of global design appears to drift further away from ecology and place, Aatman offers a gentler, circular vision of luxury, one where architecture protects as much as it inspires. Between his ateliers in Paris, his studio in New Delhi, and now this Himalayan ridge, Rahul Mishra’s voice is consistent and clear: beauty cannot be fleeting, and neither can the landscapes that allow beauty to exist in the first place.
