DE Newsletter Edition - September 2019 - part 1

A Newsletter Edition by Design Essentia Magazine // September 2019 // Part I

On Cover

STEPPED HOUSE, RETREAT IN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF NILGIRIS

BY STUDIO LOTUS in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu

DESIGN ESSENTIA MAGAZINE

www.designessentiamagazine.com

DE//INDIA follow us @designessentiamagazine

DE directions //Event Highlights - TOI DX

Times of India DESIGN X, New Delhi

Featuring CHILD STUDIO (International feature story) ARCHITECTURE DISCIPLINE PORTAL 92 ALOK KOTHARI ARCHITECTS

architecture & design magazine

Design Essentia Magazine is an architecture & interior design magazine from India. We are an international design journal featuring the work of top architects and designers, as well as the best in trends to follow.

DE//INDIA A Newsletter Edition DESIGN ESSENTIA MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2019 // PART I Join our DE community!

#letstalkdesign

“We curate to showcase the best”

I dont think architecture is just about building physical structures, it is an art that satisfies the human eye aiming to bring the society together with a good design” “My definition of a good design is the one for a smart future in which mankind approaches symbiotically to nature rather than destroying it. #letstalkdesign

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Contents DE//INDIA

//STEPPED HOUSE

A Newsletter Edition DESIGN ESSENTIA MAGAZINE

RETREAT IN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF

SEPTEMBER 2019 // PART I

NILGIRIS by New Delhi based

STUDIO LOTUS in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.

#letstalkdesign

(cover photograph by Ravi Asrani)

06

18

Times of India DESIGN X Highlights The TOI Design X Festival of Art, Crafts, Architecture & Design Etymologies, New Delhi.

(14 - 15th September, 2019. New Delhi)

22

28

32

36

40 Architecture | Interior Design | Product Design

DE//INDIA A Newsletter Edition DESIGN ESSENTIA MAGAZINE

SEPTEMBER 2019 // PART I

#letstalkdesign

#letstalkdesign

architecture & design magazine

TOI DesignX Festival of art, craft, DE directions writer: Anirudh Datta

By Design Essentia Magazine

T

architecture & design etymologies

imes of India hosted its festival of Art, Crafts,

design industry, it was one stop show for industry

Architecture and Design Etymologies on 14th and

stalwarts, renowned personalities, prominent and

15th September, 2019 at Taj Palace, New Delhi. A

upcoming professionals in the field of design and

Festival of unparalleled luxury, that promises to be

architecture and the high patrons of art and

a sensory and evovative experience. The capital

architecture. An extraordinary opportunity of

city set for DesignX, a visionary showcasing of

engaging with an elite audience witnessed never before in the city.

“

A thematic and microcosmic celebration of the five senses through beauteous visual

displays. Music | Talks | Cusines | Fragrances | Tactile Experiences. This Festival will be an exploration of the five elements, whichare the basis of all cosmic creation. Every viewer will have the opportunity to witness this significance of the ‘Panch Dhatu’, the five metal alloy which symbolizes strength and power, as much as compassion”

SUNITA KOHLI (Padma Shri) Chief Curator, Design X

www.toi-dx.com

06//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

//The Five Senses and Design Design runs right through art, craft, and architecture and is the common denominator. It is everywhere, in made and unmade objects, whether natural or hewn by the human hand. Craft is the instrument that allows this vision to be completed. Art is also an intellectual pursuit and concepts fall under art.

//CURATORIAL TEAM

Architecture is an umbrella under which these elements are fitted in. They are all expressions of human creativity, pleasing to all our senses that evoke emotions in us for their beauty, intricate and varied design, splendor, and fine workmanship.

India is a country with a wealth of culture and heritage- both tangible and intangible. It is a country where the five senses of sight, smell, sound, taste and touch are celebrated in every part of this composite, syncretic and multi-cultural sub-continent. Our recorded and oral histories of five millennia are replete with countless accounts of these celebrations.

displays of the best of Indian design, Indian Art and Indian Crafts; of the aromas of its perfumes, unguents, Attar (Indian perfume) and its aromatic

TOI Design X was themed and microcosmic

spices; its sounds; and through the taste of its

celebration of the FIVE SENSES through visual

cuisines; and its various tactile experiences.

//Key Sessions Based on the 5 Senses Design for Designers Featuring exciting, exclusive content for professional

to curated content on interiors, this segment will give

practitioners and experts within the fields of

design lovers a glimpse into design thinking.

architecture and design, this segment will offer greater insight for those in the know. From

Beyond Design

architectural photography to light design,

Good design is not limited to spaces. From the

professionals can discover new and intriguing

fragrances we wear to how we pair our wines or

aspects of their specialization.

design the courses of a meal for maximum pleasure, design thinking extends to every aspect of our lives.

Design for All

Explore a world of luxurious designer experiences

From the many interpretations and impact of colour

with Beyond Design.

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//07

The event involved various exhibitors from Art, Home Decor and Furniture Design sectors.

The exquisite design festival featured talks with various speakers from the design fraternity including Manit Rastogi and Sonali Rastogi Partner, Morphogenesis New Delhi; Alan Abraham from Alan Abraham Architects, Mumbai; Samira Rathod - Architect, SRDA, Mumbai; Ashish Ganju - Architect & Teacher, President - GREHA, New Delhi; Akshat Bhatt Principal Architect, Architecture Discipline, New Delhi; Raseel Gujral Ansal - Creative Director & Co-Founder, Casa Paradox, New Delhi; and many more.

International speakers all the way from Spain gave some insights about their work.

These included Jose Maria De Churtichaga and Cayetana Quadra-Salcedo, - CH+QS Architecture & Resources, Spain; as well as spanish sculptor Alberto de Udaeta Contemporary Sculptor, Spain who deals with cast iron and corten steel sculptors.

//COLLABORATORS

log on to www.toi-dx.com/

08//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

JLX STUDIO, BANGALORE

JEEVAN L XAVIER FOUNDER

JLX Studio 67, Ground Floor, 3rd Cross, 2nd Main, Dena Bank Colony, Ganganagar, Bangalore - 560032, Karnataka, India

jlx@jlxstudio.in www.jlxstudio.in

JLX studio is a multidisciplinary

“We are in the process of

creative space striving to

creating small groups of

expand its orbit in Design, Art,

merchandise ranging from

and Research, through

furniture, objects, toys and

meaningful ways. We believe in

textile inspired by Bangalore.

individual narratives as a form

AAKAAR, a campy range of

of expression in all facets of our

furniture is the first to be

work. work

launched along with a book of o alphabets.”

Exceeding outcomes of a traditional design studio, we work on projects that are relevant to current times; interacting and collaborating through skill, originality, and enterprise.

JLX Studio exhibited their Auto Rickshaw inspired High end furniture collection called “Aakaar” this September at the Times of India DESIGN X Festival, New Delhi. check the video on instagram - IGTV @designessentiamagazine 10//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

//images by Design Essentia Magazine Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//11

WILLOW VIIEW, NEW DELHI

HITESHI WADHWA DIVYA BAJAJ FOUNDERS

Driven by passion, integrity,

New Delhi, Willow Viiew

commitment and creativity in a

can be credited c with opening

short span of 5 years, Willow

the very first flagship store for

Viiew has become one of the

for German brand Boen, which

leading companies providing

is a pioneer in high-end

world class Wood Floors and

hardwood and engineered

specialized outdoor décor &

wood floors.

lifestyle solutions. solutions What sets Boen apart is their Wh

Willow Viiew

Divya Bajaj and Hiteshi

focus on innovation to appeal

A 154, New Manglapuri, Sultanpur - 110030 New Delhi, India

Wadhwa, who with an

to their diverse customer base

experience from the world of

across four continents, staying

lifestyle marketing & sales,

true to interior design and

started Willow Viiew in 2014.

trends, as well as translating

With a studio, spanning over

their know-how to suit real

200 square metre, on MG Road;

world needs and requirements.

hiteshi@willowviiew.com hiteshi@willowviie

Willow Viiew exhibited their outdoor furniture collection along with lighting and mosaic art, this September at the Times of India DESIGN X Festival, New Delhi. check the video on instagram - IGTV @designessentiamagazine 12//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//13

STUDIO PARADISE, GURGAON Studio Paradise has been

Sourcing Original Art and

promoting art now for a couple

Installations.

of years. It was an initiative

JESSIE SHRIMALI

taken by a Paradise Road

“ We are dedicated to

Design which is primarily an

promoting art as a way to

interiors and turnkey unit.

inspire and enrich our lives, our communities and world. We

FOUNDER

Studio Paradise Gurgaon -122018 Haryana, Haryana, India

Paradise Road Design founded

help new and experienced art

by Jessie Shrimali provides “

collectors find paintings,

Complete Interior Solutions’ for

drawings, and photography by

Residences and Corporates

emerging, established and eme

including Artwork Installations.

senior artists.”

With big brand names under its paradiseroaddesign@gmail.com

belt, Paradise Road Design has

www.studioparadise.in

Complete know how in executing turnkey projects and

#ArtAlert

Studio Paradise exhibited their exquisite Art collection this September at the Times of India DESIGN X Festival, New Delhi. check the video on instagram - IGTV @designessentiamagazine 14//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

//Frieda

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//15

FOAID 2019 Festival of Architecture and Interior Designing This edition will witness a gathering of 6000+ design professionals across 2 cities, who will actively participate in the festival.

The Design Manthan - An Inspiring conference will have a power packed presence with 1000+registered delegates from across the country.

20-21 September 2019 - NEW DELHI 29-30 November 2019 - MUMBAI

#foaid2019 www.foaidindia.in

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//Stepped House STUDIO LOTUS

Stepped House, A retreat in the blue mountains of Nilgiris designed by New Delhi based Studio Lotus.

AMBRISH ARORA

By Design Essentia Magazine Photographer: Ravi Asrani

Studio Lotus from New Delhi, designs the retreat in Coonoor.

Coonoo Located at an altitude of 1850 m above sea level, Coonoor lies in the blue mountains of the Niligiris and is embedded with lush green estates of tea and coffee, fruit orchards and botanical gardens.

The Stepped House, designed

by Studio Lotus, is part of this picturesque environment.

SIDHARTHA TALWAR

their children and respected families.

With a built-up area of nearly 10,000 sq ft, the design programme was required to include large living spaces, a master bedroom and two additional bedrooms to accommodate the families of their visiting children, library, kitchen and utility room and other ancillaries along with an organic garden and landscaped outdoors to provide for ample spill-outs.

The brief was simple: to build a house in the hills, which would be a retreat for now and an eventual permanent home for a couple and 18//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

ANKUR CHOKSI

PANKHURI GOEL

ASHA SAIRAM //DESIGN PRINCIPALS AT STUDIO LOTUS

The concept evolves from its context, integrating site and weather conditions and the ubiquitous beauty of its surroundings with indigenous building vocabularies and materials. The slope of the site allowed for the house to step down, while the south and east faces opened it up to the stunning vistas of the coffee plantations around the valley. valle The residence thus, followed a south-west orientation, which maximised both views and the southern sun intake; again that was crucial given Coonoor’s largely cool climate. The house is also tucked in close to the site’s northern boundary to shield it from the adjoining property.

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//19

The design team worked around the existing levels: placing the house on the flattest part of the terraced site and then using other available levels to stagger various requirements. This approach minimized damage to the site’s ecology while reducing the duration of construction.

Addressing the client’s client need for simplicity, Stepped house was conceived as a low-rise development, visible only as a single horizontal level/ plane till it is approached and then, in situ, revealed fully as it cascades into other levels and onto the greens.

The form of the house is arrived at from the attempt to make it sit quietly in the context of Coonoor and as a response to the contours of the land. Simplicity in architectural expression and ease of construction given the weather conditions were the key parameters for the structural system.

Accessed by an existing road that builds its way towards the hilltop, the residence is entered at the uppermost level, which fits in all the public areas while the private spaces are kept at the lower levels.

The house is based on a structural grid of retaining walls: a main wall that spans the entire length of the project along with intermittently-spaced walls across its width. Embodying a character typical of its location, these stone walls act as prominent design elements in the scheme; defining and demarcating areas.

Running parallel to the northern boundary, boundar the main retaining north wall, seen in profile upon entry, becomes an anchoring feature of the project.

Typically used as a crude landscape detail such as boundary walls, was interpreted into a dramatic expression inside the house.

This in-turn provides for a continuous backdrop to the entire house and allows for minimal finishes and treatments to generate a strong personality and warmth for all the spaces in the house. With controlled openings, its opaque impervious entity is designed to add visual drama to the volume while restricting the high wind chill factor of the region and screening the house from the neighbours.

The linear format for the house stacks spaces in progression with planes layered on top of the other. The primary level comprises living areas with a long verandah opening out to the scenic south views. Sliding glass doors blur the distinction between the inside and outside. A retaining wall cuts off the master bedroom from the public areas on this level; also marking the separation between the common and private zones of the house.

20//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

The material palette of Stepped House is an echo of its context.

Stone, steel and timber are applied in contemporary tonalities to resonate with the vernacular syntax. A band of glass windows hemming the walls create a mirage of the sloping roof just floating above it.

The house has a straight-forward, no fuss approach with attention to functional aspects, details and choice of materials. The neutral character of the architectural materials allows for varied pieces of furniture and art to sit effectively over it. ef There is a strong element of individuality and warmth woven into the spaces with the architectural interaction of the volume and materials. The house offers itself as a canvas for the clients to animate it with their choice of Art, Furniture and Objects.

//Stepped House Studio Lotus

Coonoor, Tamil Nadu Project size : 10,000 sq. ft.

Design Team: Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Adwait Inmadar, Dipti Das, Hussain Mehdi Consultants: Structural: Manjunath & Co. Civil: Mathew Jacob Landscape: Santosh, 3folddesign Local Architect: Arti Golcha Photographer: Ravi Asrani

check the story at www.designessentiamagazine.com Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//21

Candy pink surfaces

by Child Studio within this London based quirky restaurant.

By Design Essentia Magazine Photographer: Chieh Huang and Alexey Kostikov

Humble Pizza by London based Child

Studio; A new restaurant recently opened on London’s King’s Road, the neighbourhood synonymous with British fashion, music and pop culture movements of the 20th Century from mods and hippies to punks and New Romantics.

//Humble Pizza CHILD STUDIO London, United Kingdom Project size : 120 sq. m. plot

22//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

Child Studio drew from these cultural references when creating the interior. The inspiration for the design came from the staple of British vernacular post-war architecture – the ‘Formica caffs’, which first appeared in London’s West End in the 1950s, several of them surviving intact to this day. da (international feature story)

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//August 2019/Part I//23

Established by Italian immigrant families, those coffee bars served simple snacks and drinks in a pared-back modernist setting featuring laminate surfaces, pastel colours and cosy seating nooks and crannies. This was the beginning of the ‘cafe culture’ in London with King’s Road at the epicentre, attracting writers, musicians, photographers and bohemian characters of all styles.

The interior is clad in wall-to-wall pink Formica, which continues along counter fronts and across table tops. The rhythmic pattern is highlighted with cherry wood, framing each laminate panel. The designers worked with Formica factory to recreate the original ‘linen’ pattern design popular in the 1970s, opting for a suitably ‘Millennial pink’ shade. Other subtle nods to the past include mosaic tiled flooring, cherry wood shelving and neon signage.

The cafe is accessorised with the classic mid-century lighting pieces by European designers Poul Henningsen, Jacques Biny and Luigi Massoni.

The cafe sits behind a period timber shopfront. The facade was stripped back from the later additions to reveal the original features, including the ornate cast iron grilles. The long and narrow floor plan informed the layout with a long banquette seat flanking one side and a 5,5 metre display counter located along the opposite wall.

An Illuminated cherry-clad lightbox frames the ‘open kitchen’ counter towards the rear of the space, creating a cinematic focal point whilst offering a glimpse behind the scenes and celebrating the food making process focused on plant-based ingredients.

check the story at www.designessentiamagazine.com 24//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//25

London Design Festival celebrates and promotes London as the design capital of the world.

The Festival returns to venues and institutes across the city in 2020.

12-20 September 2019

#ldf2019

www.londondesignfestival.com

architecture & design magazine

//B 23 Residence ARCHITECTURE DISCIPLINE

This residence marks a tribute to the 70s Indian modernism

by New Delhi based studio Architecture Discipline

By Design Essentia Magazine Photographer: Jeetin Sharma

Architecture Discipline a New Delhi

based design studio by Architect Akshat Bhatt designs the B 23 residence with tribue to 70’s Indian modernism.

If meaningful design is about the essence of

28//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

//B23 Residence New Delhi Project size : 2000 sq. yd. plot

things and eventually about reduction, this bungalow is a distinctive statement on a 2000 square yard’s block. This house typically stands as a tribute to the 70s Indian modernism and is a masterpiece because of its exemplary style and beauty.

It is an extremely interactive home for a close knit joint family, the one that cooks & dines together. The architecture of this house is such that the space embraces their roots and is progressive at the same time. The experience in plan & section is that of an open space, but, that space has been planned in a way that it is interactive yet offers privacy.

The components at site are completely acquired from or around the area and nothing has been pre-fabricated. All the work is presented according to the need and preference and in its very embryonic form, except for the furniture that has been exceptionally designed. Very few factory bought components have been used in this building.

//Image on right The washed stone aggregate on the exterior walls is a thermocouple fixed to a cavity wall, this was cast in-situ & is a very effective insulator.

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//29

In the name of style, the basic important needs have not been compromised with. The house uses a heat reflective glass, and the stone used was primarily developed first hand; then tried in the market and was applied on site.

Lots of skylights at calculated angles bring in natural light, to color the space orange in the mornings &Â evenings.

In the living area, the staircase terminates at the first floor to open that level completely. The study overlooks the dining area but the masonry parapet gives privacy. At the other end a traditional railing/balustrade under a sloping roof forces interaction.

The floor and walls are white mosaic with crushed shells for a velvet sheen.

The stone is cast in situ mosaic which was prepared by using crushed Mother Of Pearl extracted from oysters, collected from local vendors. The house also enthrals with its waste wood flooring that is environment friendly and aesthetic.

The furniture is made up of modular magnetic components, completely reconfigurable and flexible which allows the possibility of change in colour configurations and arrangement.

The mats are strikingly alluring which add a playful touch to whole decor. It came as an inspiration from a Thai floor cushions.

//B23 Residence, New Delhi Principal Architect: Akshat Bhatt Design Team: Chitrang Jha, Nishant Malhotra Photographer: Jeetin Sharma

30//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

The house appears to be transparent in look but provides volumes of privacy and levels of interactivity for the family. The curious entrance is like a ‘jharokha’, which offers privacy at the doorstep and encourages the family to leave this open for cross ventilation. At the back of the house, the kitchen opens up to the panorama of skylight. The light seeps into various places like the washrooms and living spaces too, according

to the movement of sun during daytime. The lights used inside the house go along with their own rhythm, making the ambient lights reacts in accordance with the natural light.

It is a perfect amalgamation of an edgy architectural design along with the minutely fulfilled basic comfort.

Exquisitely catering a public garden in the front, and one private garden at the back, while restricting visual access to the public.. The balcony is inhibited to one over hang that is at the back, just above the garden, to encourage residents to visit more often. The glass panels are smartly placed facing north, so as to avoid direct heat gain. Also the minimum possible heat gain is negated too, because of the appropriately used specified glass.

The house from outside looks modern and contemporary and from the inside, it’s as comfortable and cosy.

check the story at www.designessentiamagazine.com

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//31

This exquisite earthy cafe designed

by Delhi based Portal 92 is inspired by the cultural and architectural diversity of an Indian village.

By Design Essentia Magazine Photographer: Niveditaa Gupta

Portal 92 a New Delhi based firm designed this earthy cafe in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Being the primary unit of organisation and habitation in India, villages over a period of time have become synonymous with the ‘identity of India’ itself. The cultural and architectural diversity

found in villages across India can be mesmerising yet the influence of globalised invasive materials and knowhow can be seen percolating unanimously. The merits and demerits of this invasion continue to spark attempts at discovering sensitive design solutions in an actively urbanizing India. The texture of which itself is heavily interwoven with various village like settlements.

//Village Cafe PORTAL 92

Moradabad, UP, India Project size : 600 sq. m.

“When we received the proposed name for the Café/Bar from our client, these questions suddenly came to light. Studying the dichotomy in schools of thought regarding what villages represent and the interpretations of their relevance, and ever-changing state was where we started our ideation.”

- Portal 92

32//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//August 2019/Part I

//Village Cafe PORTAL 92

Textures and volumes of the space have been designed to reference an experience, reminiscent of rural Indian settlements. Shaded gathering spaces which are semi-shielded from direct view form the larger sitting zones.

The possibility of various movement patterns, give the illusion of an intimate organic settlement wherein the regulars find their own path, seldom taken by new visitors.

The idea was to create a journey of sorts, a constricted perambulatory approach that finally ‘releases’ the The form of the planters and walls have been carefully modulated to generate a surreal impression of rural settlements. The terracotta plaster was achieved after various trials to lend warmth and vibrance to the space, while the exposed concrete rings cast in iron sheets puncture these walls exposing glimpses across.

The plant species were locally curated to ensure their survival with least resistance.visitor into the garden. The other access point, which is the ‘normal’ main door, also uses the same strategy of constriction and liberation, via a small entrance lobby that shields the main living space from direct view.

The spatial programme of the villa and the zoning of the plot were also dictated by the sudden floods that the city sometimes experiences.

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//33

The city has a thriving brass handicrafts industry hence lending it the name of Pital Nagri (“Brass City”).

Brass vessels of different sizes were incorporated in the décor to reference this local trade. Indoor pendent lamps were customized to be suspended from the ceiling using wooden posts with carvings. The flooring of the central court was composed using broken slabs of rough black Kadappa stone found locally in India.

The intent became to design a space, which represents a lucid memory of a village for todays ‘Urban Indian’, looking for a drink down nostalgic lane.

//The Village Cafe - Portal 92 Principal Architects: Aanchal Sawhney, Sagar Goyal Design Team: Praneet Singh, Varsha Rath, Astha Verma Client: Prateek Ahuja Lighting: Indi Hauz Design, Dbel Studio, Hybec Photographer: Niveditaa Gupta 34//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

check the story at www.designessentiamagazine.com Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//35

Alok Kothari Architects, Pune design this elegant yet subtle brick facade house with brick jaali's, providing a traditional earthy character.

By Design Essentia Magazine Photographer: Hemant Patil

//BRICK ABODE

Alok Kothari Architects Pune, Maharashtra, India Project size : 3600 sq. ft. plot

Brick Abode, an exposed brick residence

by Alok Architects, Pune.

Kothari

Nestled in a quiet residential neighborhood of Pune, this 3,600 sq.ft. site hosted a 25-year-old single storey house.

Unfortunately, we decided to bring down this structure as it was in a dilapidated state, its interiors were gloomy & also, it wasn’t a vaastushastra (traditional Hindu science of architecture) compliant house – which was the client’s main requirement.

36//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

//Brick Abode ALOK KOTHARI ARCHITECTS

Study of the site surroundings & the existing structure showed that the main reasons for the existing house being dull & dark were the parking +3 storey bungalow on the east side of the site that was cutting off the morning sun & small opening sizes which didn’t allow enough light to penetrate into the house.

“In order to cater to this issue, we decided to anchor all the spaces in the new design to a central ‘sky light’ which would not only draw in light during the entire day but also act as a ‘brahmasthan’ (an important aspect related to vaastushastra) of the house. Also, having large windows to all the rooms was the logical way forward.”

Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//37

The client wanted a house that was simple but still makes a statement. We took this up as a challenge & started exploring different ways of architectural expression. Our research took us to the traditional residential typology of Pune – the wada – which was always as simple & elegant and was mostly constructed in exposed brick or basalt stone or both.

We decided to use brick as it is a reasonable material from environment as well as cost perspective. Moreover, the warmth & the aesthetics provided by brick as a material is unmatched.

Massing of the structure has been kept very subtle & focus has been put on highlighting the materiality of brick. To complement the red colour of the bricks, exposed concrete box windows & weather shades have been introduced. Also, the square grid of rough cement finish plaster on the compound wall accentuates the presence of bricks. In order to break the monotony of the brick façade & also to provide privacy, ‘jaali’ (perforated wall in brick) work has been used.

While the material palette (brick & concrete) for the exteriors of the building is carefully chosen to give it a simple, natural & a playful look; the interiors also follow a similar approach. The material palette comprising of teakwood finish & light colours helps in providing a neat, clean & a spacious ambience.

38//Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I

The main USP of the interior design is the use of ‘patterns’ in defining different spaces.The seed of this once again lies in our study of the traditional Indian architecture where the use of such patterns is evident in floorings, wall carvings, ceilings, etc. According to vaastushastra the use of such shapes & patterns boosts the energy flow & generates positive vibrations.

These positive vibrations are what transform a house into ‘a home’ – an abode.

//Brick Abode Alok Kothari Architects Design team: Alok Kothari, Devendra Deshpande, Akshay Karanjkar Structural Consultants: Spectrum Consultants Photographer: Hemant Patil

check the story at www.designessentiamagazine.com Design Essentia Newsletter Edition//September 2019/Part I//39

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