Please share with us the important factors, which influence and drive the design process at Archohm.
Following its inception in 1999, by the virtue of a design competition, Archohm’s design philosophy has been one that creates a dialogue of pure functional forms exaggerated by the use of individual materials. This interesting co-existence and conversation of various materials is utilized in all our projects to create responsive and responsible architecture that is climatically and contextually relevant.
The aesthetic architecture in India today follow a typology that either the modern indigenous or just contemporary irrespective of the Indian reference and its context. In such a scenario, Archohm’s design projects sit as an example of the forward-looking Indian contemporary; in materiality and functionality. Archohm therefore, stands for a young, mad and fun approach to spatiality, which enables a play of light, volumes and materials.
Your work requires constant contribution from many skilled and intellectual individuals. What is the ‘method’?
Archohm is a design studio, offering consultancy for architecture, urban design, interiors, landscape and product design, working across diverse scales, from products and furniture to residential, institutional and urban projects.
It has a fairly 2D organization structure, which is democratic in many ways because of the ‘design’ nature of the practise. I personally lead all design discussions that evolve out of closely held brainstorming sessions. Thereafter, team leaders handle projects, a mix of architects, interior designers and technical people to facilitate an interesting interdisciplinary flavour that helps evolve innovative solutions. Project heads take the responsibility, from client interaction to communications and delivery.
A separate creative crew adds value to the process through a monthly newsletter, collateral books, and novel product designs with the help of the graphic design team. Specialists on design and engineering are brought on board through multiple workshops keeping in line with the Archohm philosophy.
How important, do you think is context to the development of architecture?
Site visits and client interactions help us get acquainted. The context of a site is extremely important, as it influences the design in numerous ways – one cannot design a building without any relevance to its context.
Are there certain materials that inspire you more than others?
Pure, natural materials explored in various finishes and technologies, used in conversation with each other and accents of alien materials to show the contrasts and enhance naturalness of the pure material.
If you had to talk about one of your most significant projects, which one would that be and why?
Dilli Haat, Janakpuri. The project addresses a design challenge as well as a social one. It needs to spatially and programmatically attract the urban mindset towards lost cultural roots of craft.
The nature of the project was a huge asset for Archohm, since we could lend a dialogue of contemporary and traditional – materials and technologies in line with urban haats that celebrate tradition and culture.
The project attempts to empower artisans, bringing art and craft from the villages to the city with no middlemen, to ensure authenticity and profitability.
The play of programs and spaces to make the project aspirational, bringing in interest for all age groups to making this a destination and them exposing various facets of our craft and culture to larger urban audience.
What according to you is the ‘ism’ for the architecture of the present?
New order is the disorder. Architecture of today needs to be more generic – adoptive and adaptive and not be restricted to any of the ‘ism’s. We at Archohm, aspire to create architecture that is climatically and contextually relevant, therefore our projects follow this ethos.
Do you believe that interactive architecture is an emerging concept?
It is, however, the temporal nature of it will be limited to interior architecture and not architecture per se.
Amongst your contemporaries, whose work do you admire?
MVRDV and Herzog & DeMuron. MVRDV for addressing a dull typology like housing and completely adding fun and madness to it. Herzog De Meuron for capturing the essence of a place or a program or people and to be able to explode it with their explorations and experiments in materiality..