“Aesthetics are the Artistry.”- Catching up with Architect Sanjay Punjabi

Gallopper caught up with, seasoned Architect Sanjay Punjabi who is a passionate advocate of cultural awareness and a fervent explorer of human and natural environments. His designs, though remarkably diverse; share deep respect for the context, incomparable freshness and grace, and the dramatic use of space and light. Here is one such interior project a home Sanjay retrofitted for a friend with amazing results!

“Design is the art of composing spaces in response to existing environmental and urban conditions to answer a client’s needs”, says Sanjay Punjabi. “In this way the creation becomes the resolution between its inner being and the outer conditions imposed upon it. It is never solitary but is part of its setting and thus must blend in a timeless way with its surroundings yet show its own fresh presence”.

“One day I met an old friend who expressed a wish to revamp the interior of his home”, explains Sanjay. “Dhiren had a bungalow; and he came up with an idea about carrying out new interior work for his bungalow”. “I have a script, you must be the director,” he said – and thus the story began.
However, unlike most people who are attracted by the latest trends and international styles, Dhiren had a dream to create an entirely traditional ambience in his bungalow.

“He mentioned that it should resemble to an old style ghar (house) in some mohalla (street) of Ahmedabad. To bring in a complete transformation of the space and create an aesthetic as well as functional solution, out-of-the-box thinking and bold decisions were mandatory”.

“Aesthetics are the artistry. As an architect, the primary idea is to create functionally efficient spaces. The details add the visually appeal. In this project, it was important to pay extreme attention to aesthetics and detailing because the design certainly had to go beyond its functionality. The styling of each element was therefore a challenge; it had to look good on its own and complement the theme too!

“The existing compound wall was bulky; it had to be broken to create a wider area and mohalla like effect. A beautiful, huge old tree was retained and the wicket gate was replaced by a delo (old style door). A traditional Tulsi planter was installed in the compound wall. Terra cotta tile selection added to the charm, and so did an old-style hand-crafted grill. Light lemon yellow tone was used to create visual effects. Electrical distribution board was concealed with louvered cabinets. A swing on the platform with pots, pans and copper light fixtures blends well with the theme.

Kutchi wall treatment in the living room, with jharokha looks extremely attractive; as does the multipurpose console. Degda, textile puppets and chairs with peacock fabric were just right to set the mood. Teak wood polishing of the antique-style furniture completes the old-world charm! The partially double-heighted living room gives a scale just right for the furniture, lamps and accessories.

“At the culmination of the project, we all felt a deep sense of achievement and satisfaction”, recollects Sanjay. “The project finally took a right shape with the correct script. An artistic and exquisite design solution had emerged from the retrofit exercise!”