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Architects: STUDIO PRAKRUTHI
- Area: 4500 ft²
- Year: 2025
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Photographs:Saurabh Suryan
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Lead Architects: Prakruthi Rao, Sharon John, Sitara Rao
Text description provided by the architects. Lume Haus is a family office located on the terrace of a commercial building. This home-like office is a flexible space for meetings, discussions, and official get-togethers.
The cumulative building footprint continues to grow rampantly in India's landscape. Every moment, we lose a natural ground cover to concrete plinths that lay the foundation for a 'glorious' building to satisfy the growing needs of the human population. As a young Architecture and Design practice that we are, we struggle in the grey area, with a constant dilemma about how we can contribute positively to this paradox of living. When the opportunity presented itself to us, to design an office space on the rooftop of an existing commercial building, we came upon a moment of sigh! A chance to design a building on an existing building – a temporary shelter within which there will be a place of work.
Our design is such that it is merely a building upon an already existing building, that may be dismantled and moved elsewhere if the need arises. It is the peace of mind and balance that this idea brings to the soul that translates into the zen, natural, and meditative mood of the space.
The composition of the temporary structure is as such – an Aluminum grid clad with dark stained birch wood, held in place by recycled teak wood beading. We made a conscious decision not to use industrial-grade glue to bind the materials, we used steel nails hidden within the teak wood beading to keep the birch wood in place and the walls temporary in nature. The ceiling is natural green building-certified acoustic panels.
With regard to the furniture, it is a combination of bespoke Studio Prakruthi objects and Danish classics. The furniture we design for each project is limited edition pieces, made specifically for the project and the client making them one-of-a-kind objects. The black-stained Sycamore and birch plywood executive desks, and marble top coffee tables inspired by mid-century aesthetics are some of the bespoke furniture that was made for this space.
"In totality, there is a comforting repetition in the space, almost like breathing – again and again. This draws parallel to the idea of finding success in relentless practice and consistency, what in essence is the philosophy I live by" – by the architect.
