Location: Pune, India.

Architect: Sankalp Designers.

The Artisans House in Pune India is a 2,860 sq. ft. studio designed using sustainable strategies and with a sense of reusing materials. The four-storey south-facing structure bears an interesting bamboo façade backed by planters, which helps to block the harsh south glare and reduce the temperature by several degrees. The interiors are dexterously designed by using materials such as leftover construction steel, brick, concrete, wood, natural stone, bamboo, green wall, and stone boulders. The reception and waiting lobby welcome with an impressive staircase, and the waiting area showcases an artful play of colours.

The workspaces and circulation are marked by patterned hand-made hexagonal cement tiles cast in in-situ flooring. The team created an unusual five-sided design for the conference table to provide an unobstructed view of the wall-mounted screen. The furniture in the director’s cabin is designed using concrete and timber, and the library unit is a matrix of inclined wooden panels with circular punctures. The electric points were taken during the casting of the slab to reduce the total construction cost by several hundred Euros.