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October 26, 2024
Design Work Group’s focus was on creating a meditative space keeping minimalism at the heart of the style board for this 5,620-square-foot apartment.
Curated by: Deepa Nair
Photographs: Vinay Panjwani; courtesy Design Work Group
The brief
Cave House, the latest project by Design Work Group, is a five-bedroom apartment located on the 14th floor of a premium residential tower in Surat. The client’s brief was simple: a minimally designed space with a meditative atmosphere.
The design intent
The studio interpreted the brief by creating a clutter-free minimal interior with a soothing and calm aura, which would help the owner in practicing meditation. The project gets its name from the design highlight of the apartment — cave-like elements which cocoon the entry foyer and envelops a visitor the moment they step into the house, automatically transporting them into a different realm.
The civil intervention
No changes were made to the site due to structural rigidity. However, the toilets in the master suites were made larger by borrowing from the attached bedrooms; and a powder room was accommodated close to the dining area. Further, all the door jams were removed and camouflaged with the wall to remove the visual clutter in the space. The typical AC grill was replaced by a customized 75mm grove to create a seamless flow of space.
The spatial configuration
As the apartment is positioned at the end of a T-shaped cluster of three units, the walk towards the entrance of the flat is 50 feet from the lift lobby. Once inside, one has to cross the long foyer to land on a large expansive space which accommodates the living, dining, kitchen and terrace. There are two bedrooms flanking the living area, while a multipurpose room (essentially, a yoga and entertainment space) is placed next to foyer.
The material palette
To design this meditative space, the material palette was consciously kept simple and fewer. For the flooring black stone from Rajasthan was the material of choice; while white oak wood for the cave-like parametric structure, and grey lime plaster for the walls were used in design. All the toilets feature natural lime stone. We used extensively the textures in wood in the furniture. Also procured sculpture from the natural stones.
The highlights
The heart of the project, the cave-like entry foyer is the highlight of this project. “The cave-like structure was challenging to execute. The design was visualized, but to realize it was a tough and expensive task. D3Lab, a parametric expert, made it easier with their software and generating the right ecosystem for execution. The skill and wisdom of the carpenter was extremely valuable to execute this cave with such precision,” says Dinesh.
Fact file
Project: Cave House
Location: Surat, Gujarat
Area: 5,620 sq ft
Principal architect: Dinesh Suthar
Design team: Jitendra Sabalpara, Bharat Patel and Bhavika Suthar
Parametric work: D3Lab
Carpentry: Roshan Suthar
Stone work: Sarah Patel
Paint work: Guddubhai
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