The Best Stories from the Year 2020
As part of our year-end review, we reflect back at 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic. At the end of the most disruptive year in recent history, we round-up some of the most interesting trends from the fields of Architecture, Design and Art featuring the best from our three published editions of the past year, including state-of-the-art technology integrated spaces, the world's first zero-waste restaurant, inclusive fashion design, tiles made from air pollution, portable/detachable housing and inventive and unusual artwork.
The World's First Zero-Waste Restaurant Opens in London
Silo London by Nina+Co:
On Wednesday 13th November 2019, Silo, the world’s first zero-waste restaurant by award-winning chef Douglas McMaster opened in their new Hackney Wick home, The White Building. A zero-waste pioneer, Douglas’ innovative approach is threaded throughout the whole restaurant and its supply chains: from trading directly with farmers to composting any leftover scraps into compost, the continuing aim is to 'close the loop' in the food production process.
This Affordable Shelter is Built Inside an Auto-Rickshaw
SOLO.01 by Billboards:
With the current economic scenario, the tiny house movement is catching up all over the world and downsizing has become the norm. Although for some communities, even a house that size could be a boon. Solo.01 is a utilitarian design of a compact 6'x 6' space into a portable/detachable housing at the back of a 3 wheeler auto rickshaw that can accommodate a solo individual like an artist, traveller, homeless people or even a small scale vendor. This is designed keeping in mind the concept of affordability and lifestyle of nomads and societal groups under the poverty line. The three-wheeler structure is a space with double functionality that includes a residence and commercial space.
This Beautiful, Breezy Weekend Home Will Give you Major Holiday Goals!
Weekend Home by Humming Tree:
With its amazing climate and range of hills, it comes as no surprise, that Wayanad in Kerala is truly fascinating for the architectural landscape. Now syncing into this hilly region, it turns out that this weekend/holiday home includes collonaded verandas, courtyards, high ceilings, and breezy folding doors, features that cater to the humid, tropical weather and the torrential downpour that might suddenly occur. Let's take a walk through this home's highlights to inspire the decorating scheme for one’s next vacation home.
Clothing that Cares!
RESET by Monika Dugar:
Monika Dugar's RESET Clothing Collection has been designed to help independent living and ease the struggle of dressing for people with Parkinson's. [R E S E T] aims to serve as an inspiration and generates a new approach to transforming adaptive clothing for ageing and mobility challenge people. It promotes design thinking as fundamental to progressive social change and is a passionate proponent of applying social impact and human-centred design research to international aid and development work.
Meet the World's First Tile Made Using Air Pollution!
Carbon Tile by Carbon Craft Design & AIR-INK:
Carbon Craft Design, a Mumbai based startup, has developed Carbon Tile - a first of its kind to be made using Air Pollution - that aims to offset the world's carbon emissions at scale through a conventional building element.
Nibha Sikander's Art Recreates Various Species from Nature
Wandering Violin Mantis by Nibha Sikander:
In Nibha Sikander’s first solo exhibition, she expands on her growing practice of looking at and recreating various species from nature, some real and some imagined. The artist uses layer upon layer of intricately cut out paper to create form after form of moths, mantises and birds, each one meticulously assembled in her studio in Murud-Janjira. The exhibition focuses on Nibha’s observations of a variety of insects and other creatures that surround her.
A Contemporary Take on the Traditional Courtyard Houses of Kerala
The Jaisen House by Jayadev Architects:
The Jaisen House is an interpretation of the traditional courtyard houses of Kerala with its ubiquitous sloped roof form and associated character in an attempt to adhere to the context and represent it within the contemporary architectural language reflective of the times that we live in. It is a conscious study and understanding of the time tested response to the climate and cultural demands that resulted in such houses, attempting to appropriate it to the present context without losing the essential experiential qualities that they stood for.
Pantone Color of the Year 2020 Themed Cocktail Bar Opens its Doors in Delhi
Blue Baoli by Pantone Collective:
Blue Baoli is an Indian cocktail bar with a fusion design language, located in Janpath, Connaught Place, the heart of the capital city of Delhi. This 2000 square feet modern eatery is a design composition by New Delhi based Pantone Collective Design Studio lead by Tanya Chutani in collaboration with Upneet Kaur. The location being Janpath plays a major role in getting the attention of an
audience, as it is a shopper’s delight and a hub of attraction for both the tourists and the locals. “An empty room is a store waiting to happen, and the designer is its author.” The designer brings the story from Indian Architecture to this fusion bar, adding vernacular elements in a contemporary context.
Rejuvenating the Traditional Craft of Hammering Brass to Make Utensils
P-TAL, Punjab Thathera Art Legacy by Kirti Goel:
An entity that works for the rejuvenation of the craft form of hammering brass to make utensils. The traditional craft of hammering brass is the only craft form of India to be inscribed in the UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Despite this great feat, the craft form is on the verge of extinction and the number of 'Thatheras', the craftsmen, has reduced from 500 to mere 30. Thatheras, having lost the ability to listen, sit back saddened as the culture of their past fades away into a future that looks nothing but gloomy, dark and full of debt.
Lopez Design Revamps VIP
Rebranding VIP by Lopez Design:
It's crucial that brands evolve and stay connected to the emerging generation’s aspirations. VIP, an established market leader entrusted Lopez Design with the challenge of rebranding them. Lopez design re-positioned VIP which caters to the future travel desires of the youth, moving beyond its image of basic and always ahead of the curve. The impact of the new branding was immediate as it got high visibility through its 8000 retail stores in India and a network of dealers across 50 countries. The fresh identity instantly related with the audience making a difference to its bottom line.
This School Finds its Inspiration From 6th Century Temples and Regional Architecture
Rane Vidyalaya by Shanmugam Associates:
Rane Vidyalaya CBSE school is an educational campus for K12 and a CSR initiative by Rane Foundation India Pvt. Ltd, a leading industrial conglomerate. Theerampalayam, the rural region where the school is located, has no proper educational institutions that offer quality learning. The closest city, Tiruchirapalli which is a Tier-II city in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, is 20km away. The intent was to create an infrastructure that would have a positive social impact on the local community and also showcase the core values of Rane.
Rejuvenating an 18th-Century Palace Into a Bespoke Hospitality Experience
RAAS Devigarh by Studio Lotus:
Crafting a simplified yet elevated user experience in an 18th-century palace fortress-turned-hotel. Opening to stunning views of the valley from its location in the Aravalli hills at Udaipur, RAAS Devigarh is an all-suite luxury hotel housed within an 18th-century palace-fortress. The palace was restored some twenty odd years ago; opened to the public in 1999, the interiors of the old hotel were swathed in white plaster as a marked departure from typically embellished palace interiors – as was the norm then – while the exteriors were pristinely preserved.