We specialise in creating special materials for most of our projects- be it residential or commercial

What led to the inception of your design and research studio and how has the journey been so far?
Being raised in a family of architects, there has always been a subconscious association with design and architecture. Be it visits to my father’s office as a kid, or through travels with the family- we would always engage in immersing with the arts- through museums, design shows or even visits to important buildings – both contemporary as well as historic monuments. So it is this exposure to design and architecture right from an early stage that has got me interested in the field and has influenced me in the way I look at design today.

After having lived overseas for over ten years, (B Arch- Cornell, M Arch- Harvard + working at OMA NYC and Zaha Hadid London) towards the end of 2011, I decided to move back to Mumbai to start my own practise in Architecture. Not having a particular project to work on, I started focusing on the different crafts of India as a means to investigate different techniques of making as well as material research.

The research was open ended, to create a library of materials or products which could then be appropriated into larger furniture pieces or interior projects. Now, as an office we specialise in creating special materials for most of our projects- be it residential or commercial. Moving to 2019 – in a short span of time, we now enjoy working on a varied scale of projects, from larger architectural and landscape projects, to interiors, furniture, product as well as window displays.

You have executed numerous projects; let us know about aproject which you believe defines a proper balance of form, function and aesthetics
Every project we take on at the office follows a process of design starting from a strong conceptual idea followed by its translation within the pragmatics of the given space.

A project quite recently completed at Kala Ghoda in Mumbai was a 1700 sqft Fashion Boutique for Indian fashion designer Kunal Rawal.

The store, housed in the historic Rhythm House building in Kala Ghoda, has a great site presence in the newly defined fashion hub of the city. Being in a city like Mumbai where every inch of real estate is prime- the initial idea for the store was the maximise the foot print and make use of the 20ft+ ceiling height available. We started with wanting to create a flexible space where the store could double up as a retail space as well as transform into an event space. We achieved this goal by using a simple motorised racking system where every garment rod was remote controlled, this made way for the clothes to be moved up when not needed – freeing up the space below.

This not only allowed for the ground space to be opened up for events, it made way for a new bespoke retail experience. The client now walks into the store and explains out his requirement to the store team. On the basis of his/her specific needs the team then lowers certain racks and exposes them to select products.

The racks being the over arching idea within the space, was then further detailed with military influences which are key to the brand and help create a larger extension of the brand message.

What are some of the projects you are working on?
Some of the projects we are working on include Kunal Rawal’s Hyderabad store. In Bangalore we are working for Bhaane, a clothing brand, We are designing Sonam Kapoor’s residence in Delhi, In real estate we are working with Phoenix Kessaku Bangalore for designing their lobby and lounges and JP Decks in Mumbai. For JP Decks we are designing the landscape and interiors for all common spaces which includes the lobby, banquet hall, gym, business center, guest rooms. We are also working with Hermes windows in Mumbai and Delhi.

Rooshad Shroff, Founder Principal,Rooshad Shroff Architecture and Design

22