Since its inception, the studio has flourished as a professional architecture and design house. Our projects have continued to embody a strong sense of place and the identity – attributes which the studio relates with and which we strive to achieve.
From collaborating to experimenting, and constantly questioning the status quo – the studio seeks conviction in its processes with an added dimension of empathy. With projects spread out across the country, we have garnered an extensive yet diverse portfolio of work that has catered to a distinguished clientele.
Puran Kumar – Principal at Studio PKA – believes in creating spaces that exude a strong sense of place and identity. Now more than 30 years into the practice, Puran continues to explore and adopt fresh, innovative and exciting new ways of breathing life into the wide gamut of projects that come his way.
From Corporate Interiors to Residential Spaces and explorations in Adaptive – Re-Use, Puran’s repertoire of architecture and interior projects is as wide as it is simple.
1. The Mango House, Alibag, Maharashtra
Sailing in a ferry far from the madding crowds of Mumbai, towards the quaint coastal town of Alibag; the rattle and hum of the city is silenced. The prelude to the experience, that is The Mango House, is set in motion on arrival – a walk down the sunlit pier and a short drive from the port along a long silent dirt road under a canopy of lush green trees.
At two storeys high, the house allows the branches of the trees to spill over onto the deck, overlooking the pool. Multiple large glass fenestrations line the exposed brick walls, casting reflections of the world outside – flooding the interiors with daylight and shadow trails, allowing the experience to percolate within. The windows along with the four expansive entrances along the north – south and east- west axes further blur the lines between the inside and the outside.
2. 5 Element House, Pavana, Maharashtra
Rising high and at the level of the Sahyadris, the story begins where the Five Elements meet – The Earth and The Sky, with Air, Water and Fire in-between – molded from the earth and open to the vast surround allowing the outside to step in. The design allowed the world outside to grow along and within the spaces of the structure itself. You could find green climbers trailing their way up along the wooden trellis, the occasional garden variety chameleon darting across the stone pathway. Dragonflies hover over the wild flowers that grew around the structure, or just a yellow butterfly sitting still against the window pane.
The textured and subdued wintergreen walls grow warmer in tone under the sun and mimic the tones of earth; which not only blends in with the landscape but gives the impression of a mass that has grown and emerged from the land on which it rests. The house rises and falls, following the lay of the land. Each level responds to the contour which gives rise to a dynamic and playful mix of risers and landings – a homage to the hills.
3. Tianu – The Revival Project, Ballard Estate, Mumbai
Nestled in a corner, on the ground floor of a Victorian Era building in Ballard Estate – the original Central Business District – ‘The Revival Project’ speaks of a desire to recover and respect the past – an ode to architectural heritage in Mumbai. The space was acquired with a large double heighted open floor plate, interjected by a low height mezzanine, boarded up arched fenestrations and devoid of a connect with the street. The project was seen as an opportunity to effectively refurbish a space within a heritage structure – which not only saves space and is economically viable but also recognizes the importance of conserving the remnants of a bygone era.
While a hierarchy of spaces exists, a conscious effort was made for it to be kept to a bare minimum – spaces flow into each other with transitions highlighted either by way of textural and tonal variations in flooring material or semi-permeable partitions. A screen – below the mezzanine – segregates the retail space in two and instantly suggests a division. Conceptualized as a flexible intervention, the cement board partition acts as a backdrop for art and furniture as well as blocks or allows visual access to and from the entrance of the store by way of louvers.
4. The Canvas, Marine Drive, Mumbai
The apartment sits on the 3rd floor of an Art Deco building with sweeping views of the sea. The family sought a home that could respond to its context and cater to their needs with regard to the functionality of space. The Canvas, as the apartment is coined, faces the Queen’s Necklace and frames the world outside – with the changing hues of the sky and sea – and acts as backdrop for the client’s ever-growing art collection.
The Canvas is as much about art as it is about its inhabitants. Rather than stand out as individual works, the art is allowed to become one with the structure – through the art installation at the far end of the passage. An instance where art and the architecture have come together – a melding of two crafts. Exposed brick niches break forth as part of ‘The – L’ which along with the white plastered walls provide neutral backdrops to the art.
5. The Loft | Redefined, South Mumbai
Located along the heritage mile of SoBo, on the 2nd floor of a 100-year-old Victorian era building, the studio space explores the innate tactility and highlights the structural integrity of the heritage structure. A conscious effort was made to rigorously explore, live and breathe the space so that the process of “peeling away” layers and exposing the natural character of the space followed simple acts of pausing, taking a couple of steps back and moving forward again – akin to a rhythmic staccato.
The idea of unearthing and discovering, rather than a set mandatory approach, was adopted not only to respect, retain and celebrate the spirit of the place but also respond to the myriad experiences the space could possibly offer. Natural light, ventilation (virtually non-existent in office spaces in the urban sphere) and the objective of utilizing the various vantage points to the fullest were of utmost importance while designing the space.
