STUDIO PRAKRUTHI

SLIDE - LIFT - OPEN SHELF Movable, flexible, shelving system that allows the user to create various scenes and combinations of display. OM TABLE O-M is the sound that liberates, breaks the mind and soul free. Only to gather fleeting thoughts to start again. The nature of life seen in the rhythm of OM is metaphorical of the design of this coffee table by Studio-Prakruthi. Flowers, water, movement - nature and its glories elements may engage within a home via this object. SUMMERHOUSE A ‘Summer Getaway’ designed as an oasis to beat the summer heat. It is a temporary structure made from thermal comfort materials, designed for one’s meditative pursuits and relaxation. The interiors embody a minimalistic earthy character symbolic of the beauty in simple things and slow living. The plunge pool, lounge seating and shaded interiors create a regulated natural environment where experience is in the fore front. Air-dried brick for the flooring, a ceramic water body, clay plaster walls to regulate humidity, porous hemp fiber screens held with a wood residue composite framework of slacks are the carefully curated materials that enhance the climatic comfort and natural aesthetics of the space. PURSUIT OF LIGHT Studio-Prakruthi’s design proposal for a hotel complex in Banaras is expressed via the sectional diagram titled – ‘Pursuit of Light’. The diagram is a spatial representation that embodies the idea of comfort in the presence and absence of light. NATURAL ACCOUSTICS - CORK The bark of a tree – cork is a natural sound and heat insulator. Cork paneling is used in the home-theatre room of Apartment at Kingfisher Towers for sound absorption and temperature control.

STUDIO - PRAKRUTHI BANGALORE, INDIA APARTMENT V BANGALORE, INDIA OURR PENTHOUSE BANGALORE, INDIA APARTMENT AT KINGFISHER TOWER BANGALORE, INDIA LUME HAUS BANGALORE, INDIA

APARTMENT V BANGALORE, INDIA A ground floor apartment, in the midst of a busting neighborhood in Bangalore, Apartment V is a temple-like oasis. The Interior Architecture embodies the style of a contemporary Indian Home. The space is designed for one inhabitant - a collector of south-Indian antiques. The design intent was developed as a response to the client’s traditional south-Indian way of living. This, we stitched together with sensibilities of a contemporary minimalist interior. The primary intension with spatial planning was to create a visual distinction within the hierarchy of privacy one desires in a dwelling, without compromising on the feeling of openness. The entrance Foyer opens into a large formal living room, adjacent to which is a semi-outdoor spill out space- an extension of the front garden. The formal living and outdoor space are both visually connected to a home office which leads into more private spaces such as the dining, family room, kitchen, master bedroom and bathroom. The more private spaces are visually disconnected from the foyer, formal living and front garden. The Interior engages with the cityscape selectively. Controlled natural light is invited into the space. The afternoon north light is refracted into the home by the raised west wall made from glass blocks, fashioning pleasantly lit afternoons at the formal living room. On may enjoy the front garden by lying on the planter’s chair and looking up to the undercover foliage of an aged Gulmohar tree on the sidewalk of the adjoining road. The Interior Architecture of the home is a response to the home owner’s material collection of South-Indian temple wood rafters, columns etc. We recycled the wood rafters to create an ambient lighting system that runs through the circulation of the house, a 3-way use from the entrance, master bedroom and kitchen. The decorative wood columns bring balance to the open plan and elongate the height of the space. All the doors are made from damaged pieces of wood rafters – sliced and fixed together. The material language of the interiors has a connection with land. Concrete floors, mud plaster cabinetry paneling, white marble skirting and recycled teak wood rafters set the tonality of the home. The use of natural brass and copper in the home seen in lights, fittings, hardware etc behave like the jewels that add lustre to the home. The atmosphere of Apartment V is an embodiment of the Indian way of living – of finding comfort in shade, whilst being visually connected to the city and the natural environment. An enjoyable contraction between expanse and limits. Photos and Video - Suryan and Dang

LUME HAUS BANGALORE, INDIA Lume Haus is a family office located on the terrace of a commercial building. This home-like office is a flexible space for meetings, discussions and official get togethers. The cumulative building footprint continues to grow rampantly in India’s landscape. Every moment, we lose natural groundcover to concrete plinths that lay the foundation for a ‘glorious’ building to satisfy the growing needs of the human population. As a young Architecture and Design practice that we are, we struggle in the grey area, with a constant dilemma between how we can contribute positively to this paradox of living. When the opportunity presented itself to us, to design an office space on the rooftop of an existing commercial building, we came upon a moment of sigh! A chance to design a building on an existing building – a temporary shelter within which there will be a place of work. Our design is such that its existence is not a byproduct of sacrificed land and vegetation, but instead, it is merely a building upon an already existing building, that may be dismantled and moved elsewhere if the need arises. It is the peace of mind and balance that this thought brings that translates into the zen, natural mood of the space. The composition of the temporary structure is as such – an Aluminum grid clad with dark stained birch wood, held in place by recycled teakwood beadings. We made a conscious decision to not use industrial grade glue to bind the materials, instead use nails hidden within the teakwood beadings to keep the birch wood in place and the walls temporary in nature. The ceiling is natural green building certified acoustic panels. With regard to the furniture, it is a combination of bespoke Studio Prakruthi objects and Danish classics. Each project has a special place in our heart and the furniture we design for each project are limited edition pieces, made specifically for the project and client making them one of a kind objects. The black stained Sycamore and birch plywood executive desks, marble top coffee tables inspired by Mid-century aesthetic are some of the bespoke furniture that was made for this space. “In totality, there is a comforting repetition in the space, almost like breathing – again and again. This draws parallel to the idea of finding success in relentless practice and consistency, what in essence is the philosophy I live by.” - Prakruthi Rao, Founder and Principal Designer Photos - Saurabh Suryan

ALL AROUND RAFTER LIGHT SYSTEM APARTMENT V This is a sculptural lighting system, bespoke for Apartment V made from recycled ancient temple rafters, imbedded with upturn strip light for indirect light and suspended by a natural brass clamping system. The light runs around the circulation pathway of the house and is operated by a 3 way switch (entrance, master bedroom and kitchen) enabling a comfortable lighting system that illuminates the movement area within the house with the click of just 1 switch from 3 different areas. LH COFFEE TABLE SERIES LUME HAUS LH01, LH02 AND LH03 are a series of cocktail tables, anthropometrically suitable for use as a low height dining / formal official writing table. Designed specifically for Lume Haus office, the height, round edges and marble top facilitates formality and modesty in visual appeal. LH04 BOOK END SHELF LUME HAUS Designed to emulate the three dimensional planes of visual experience, the wall mounted book shelf can be used to position books with an end for support and display. TYPICAL DOOR DETAIL Studio Prakruthi’s typical door detail, developed from various stages of research and development on site, is a signature to our practice today. Set in handles demarcated by metal inserts creates a flushed, seamless flow to enhance the aesthetic and visual character of the door while serving a functional purpose of uninterrupted experience of moving between spaces. The door comes in various wood and metal finishes. K03 PEDESTAL APARTMENT AT KINGFISHER TOWER Made from recycled plywood, wallpaper and wasted wood beadings from the site. VJ01 BED SIDE TABLE We designed this beside table with 2 levels of table tops to secure electronics in the top level and space for drink ware in the lower level. Rounded, seamless edges are a signature to our studio’s design language. Brass sheets wrap around oak drawers with flushed handles. VILLA JAKKUR K01 COFFEE TABLE APARTMENT AT KINGFISHER TOWER "Creating bespoke products for individual projects is reminiscent of the type of Architecture and Design my grandfather produced. I grew up around bespoke furniture his carpenters made on site specifically for the home I grew up in. As each home is unique, so must the items it carries is the message that stayed with me and I carry forward in my work today." - Prakruthi Rao, Founder and Principal Designer At Studio – Prakruthi, we often tend to style the spaces we create with a collection of bespoke furniture purely designed and created on site unique to each space. An act of material sensitivity, considering these bespoke objects are intuitive creations from left over materials on site towards the end of a project. In these images is a bespoke coffee table created from leftover wood beadings and small sized veneer pieces towards the end of the construction process. The concave rounded edges of the glass top are designed in such a manner as to allow one to move around the table with ease, even if crowded with furniture all around. K02 DINING TABLE APARTMENT AT KINGFISHER TOWER A one of a kind dining table, designed with purist, brutalist architectural intent for Apartment at Kingfisher Towers, this dining table embodies the signature of our studio’s material language and simplistic, timelessness where form follows function. It is an assemblage of 6 parts of site – 4 industrial grade “L” shape legs, a solid recycled teak wood connecting rafter, and a walnut table top. All edges are skinny and rounded to ease transition and enhance tactile and visual appeal.

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OURR PENTHOUSE BANGALORE, INDIA OURR Penthouse – designed by Studio Prakruthi is a contemporary Indian home that builds a relationship between the past and present. Prakruthi in Sanskrit equates to “nature, the original or natural form of anything”. This is translated into the studio’s way of design. Our clients, the owners of the home, drawn to the studio's design sensibilities, came to us with two wishes. First- being to use their vast collection of antique temple wood columns and beams – a generational collection of wood that belongs to their family. Second, to create a sheltered structure on the terrace from which they can enjoy the view of a beautifully-aging rain tree top that is right in front of their apartment building. The house is designed in neutral warm tones humbly bowing down to the surrounding greenery to be of visual interest. We’ve recycled from the client’s collection of antique wooden temple beams into bespoke furniture, structural reinforcement beams, columns in the terrace etc. Ancient carvings found on the rafters are retained. It brings to mind the memory of ancient Indian temples. The visual heaviness of the home is intentional to create on a spiritual level a deeper connection to the past. Photos - Suryan and Dang

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Studio – ‘Prakruthi’ is a multi-disciplinary design practice with an expertise in Architecture, Interior, Furniture and Lighting design. Located in a mid-century residential complex in the heart of Bangalore, India, the studio’s look and feel resonates with the ethos and sensibilities of the practice. The Studio was established by Prakruthi Rao in 2022. Prakruthi is a trained Architect from Manipal School of Architecture and Parsons - The New School, New York. After which she went on to pursuing a Master’s Degree in Interior Design from The Royal College of Art, London - The world’s leading Post-graduate School for Art and Design. “Prakruthi” in Sanskrit translates to – “nature, the original or natural form.” This is the essence of the practice. Where intangible pure intent flows into the spaces we create or transform through engagement with artisanal knowledge. Interest in precision, harmony and sensory experience is the compass that leads the functioning of the practice. Aesthetically, in our work there is an embodiment of a language that is harmonious with nature and its surroundings. A niche design studio, we are focused on producing timeless Architecture and Interiors that encapsulate a quiet sophistication rooted in well-crafted and refined designs tailor-made for each client. The luxury in the spaces we create is hidden in the simplicity and ‘warm minimal’ nature of design catered to enable an elevated, meditative human experience. A process oriented design practice, our designs are wholly dedicated to the site and the client. We take utmost care in studying the brief and site, to strategizing not just movements but also moments of interest within the boundaries of a space. Design detailing, drawings and enabling the right execution team and craftsmen to bring our designs to life, we are hands on from beginning to the end of a project with the ultimate aim of customer satisfaction. “The spaces we design are of grace designed to age with finesse, to gather stories and deepen in meaning over time. They speak softly, engaging those present in it to soak in its numinous vibration and encouraging them to flow with it.” - Prakruthi Rao, Founder and Principal Designer