Issue Focus: WOOD

Wood is an evocative medium, straddling the traditional and the modern. Even tropical countries like ours have begun to use wood in many ways to infuse both public and private spaces with a singular elegance. With wood, the boundaries of design and experimentation may be pushed more easily than most other materials. In this issue, we see how indigenous wood weaves its magic in a New Delhi designer home, and how in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, wood drapes the interiors, how recycled wood is used in cabinetry in a Toronto house, and in Goa, how wood becomes a bridge between the old and the new.

Hill Abode
Amidst the tea estates of Coonoor in Tamil Nadu is an imposing residence where Nalapat Architects used wood in ceilings, doors, floors and frames, to create spaces for the entire family to rejuvenate.

Nature Feel
The Wakankars’ apartment in Gurgaon reflects the free-spiritedness and artistic sense of its owner Anjalee. Designed by Sanjib Chatterjee, the space is fitted with a multitude of local woods to give it a natural look.

Bridge Motif
Goa-based architect Abhijit Sadhale culls out the ‘cultural identity’ of this priestly home using wooden pillars, trellis and other wooden elements to reinforce its traditional past. Savitha Hira takes a look.

Inside Story
Courtyard House in Toronto, with its exterior concrete shell and inside ‘courtyard’ spaces, is climate-sensitive. The design firm, Studio Junction, used wood veneers and cladding to provide ‘alternative’ areas for recreation and work.

Light Work
Designed by architect Pooja Agarwal, this south Delhi office of architects Praveen Agarwal and Rohit Garg, uses wood to create an open, breathable working environment, with pockets of unoccupied space and ample natural lighting. Bharat Atwal takes a look.

Bali Retreat
The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, built amidst lush rice terraces and tropical flora, uses local Balinese wood and stone. With the help of local craftsmen, architectural firm Heah and Co created a wooden, eco-friendly design that is contemporary in look and feel.

Right Curves
The Zest Resort in Kodaikanal carries a youthful, exuberant air. Architects B. Ritu and K. Rajiv from Chennai retained elements of old-world hillstation charm, but combined it with designer touches using indigenous timber, individualised furniture and upholstery to suit the entire family.

Wood Basic
Wood takes on myriad forms in its application in our daily lives. From floors and ceilings, door frames and kitchen cabinets, to easels and speakers, wood is the material of choice. Anusha Kondath takes a look at some of the options available when considering this natural medium.
Interiors

Bold Design
The interiors of Raseel and Naveen Ansal’s farmhouse in Delhi are constantly evolving. The house incorporates the natural greenery of the outdoors and classical, dramatic motifs, writes Sunalini Mathew.

Interiors

Retail Magic
Swarovski Ginza in Tokyo is designed by Tokujin Yoshoika as a new retail experience. A crystal stairwell, special lighting and a Swarovski droplet waterfall make this a fairytale store, says Shiny Varghese.

Architecture

Banyan Tree
Banyan Village in suburban Chennai is a rehabilitation home for mentally-challenged women. Architects Varsha & Pradeep Varma use low-cost materials and an open-plan ‘courtyard’ design, writes Sangeeta Kamath.

This & That
Read about the first World Architecture Community portal launched with 200 honorary members... Also read about the announcement of a European prize for interior
design, a retrospective of Raghu Rai’s photographs and a German artist’s impressions of India

Columnists on Board
Sriram Ganapathi : Urban Angst
Suhasini Ayer Guigan : Toilet Etiquette
Nikhil Segel: The Patron
Sonali Rastogi: Fluid Design: Home