{"id":411918,"date":"2026-03-30T18:18:19","date_gmt":"2026-03-30T18:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/411918\/"},"modified":"2026-03-30T18:18:19","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T18:18:19","slug":"compartment-s4-brings-warmth-and-craftsmanship-to-cowshed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/411918\/","title":{"rendered":"Compartment S4 brings “warmth and craftsmanship” to cowshed"},"content":{"rendered":"

Indian studio Compartment S4 has completed a cowshed<\/a> in Maharashtra, using a palette of brick<\/a>, stone<\/a> and bamboo<\/a> to elevate its utilitarian spaces into a “humane, climate-responsive habitat”.<\/p>\n

Named Gaughar or Cow House, the project sits within a 340-acre fruit orchard in the coastal town of Dahanu, and replaces a dilapidated shed<\/a> with a series of open, airy spaces that prioritise the comfort of both staff and cows.<\/p>\n

\"CowCompartment S4 has completed a cowshed in Maharashtra<\/p>\n

Rather than demolishing the existing structure, Compartment S4<\/a> retained its steel frame, which was painted red and infilled with walls of locally-sourced black basalt stone and brickwork punctured by large archways and perforated sections.<\/p>\n

This reconstruction was guided by a new layout based around hygiene and the everyday routines of the cattle and their caretakers. The studio created alternating enclosed and open spaces that allow for easy circulation, ventilation and daylight.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorIt replaces a dilapidated shed with a series of open, airy spaces<\/p>\n

“The layout balances operational efficiency with animal comfort, creating a system where architecture quietly supports the daily rhythms of care, movement, and agricultural activity,” Compartment S4 co-founder Kishan Shah told Dezeen.<\/p>\n

“These sheds are designed as breathable structures, with indoor resting areas extending directly into outdoor paddocks so that cows can move freely between shaded and open environments,” he continued.<\/p>\n

“Together, these gestures redefine the Gaughar as a humane and climate-responsive habitat, where architectural form, animal wellbeing, and ecological systems are closely intertwined.”<\/p>\n

\"PeopleThe red steel frame is infilled with walls of locally-sourced stone and brickwork<\/p>\n

In order to instil a sense of what Compartment S4 described as “warmth and craftsmanship” into the otherwise utilitarian spaces, various locally crafted elements were incorporated into its design.<\/p>\n

Bamboo ceilings were made in collaboration with artisans from the Dang region, while openable windows are infilled with sections of block-printed ajrakh fabric.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Man<\/p>\n

The Purple Ink Studio draws on ship sails for seaside pavilion in Kerala\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

Traditional jali screens informed the perforated brickwork sections on the shed’s gable ends, and matka \u2013 clay pots used for storing water \u2013 were a reference point for the water troughs in both the sheds and shaded areas of the surrounding paddock.<\/p>\n

“Much of the inspiration came from vernacular agricultural structures and traditional material practices that naturally respond to climate,” said Shah.<\/p>\n

\"RedBamboo ceilings were made in collaboration with artisans from the Dang region<\/p>\n

“Elements such as arched masonry walls, porous brick jalis, and bamboo ceilings draw from regional knowledge systems while being adapted to the scale and needs of a contemporary cattle facility,” he continued.<\/p>\n

“The textiles bring colour, familiarity and cultural memory into the working environment, helping instil a sense of ownership among the people who manage and care for the cattle every day.”<\/p>\n

\"CowsThe design prioritises the comfort of both staff and cows<\/p>\n

Elsewhere in India, architecture practice Studio Saar recently completed a dairy farm in Rajasthan,<\/a> using a palette of reclaimed steel and rubble that was all sourced from within a 30-kilometre radius of the site.<\/p>\n

The photography is by The Space Tracing Company<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Indian studio Compartment S4 has completed a cowshed in Maharashtra, using a palette of brick, stone and bamboo…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":411919,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,15361,185562,366,18,117,19,387,17,10357,10358,185563,11581],"class_list":["post-411918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-bricks","tag-cowsheds","tag-design","tag-eire","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-india","tag-ireland","tag-sectionall","tag-sectionarchitecture","tag-sheds","tag-stone"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116319506153469244","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=411918"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/411918\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/411919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=411918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=411918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=411918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}