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A communal space for creative exchanges was the brainchild of Pune-based product designer Nikita Bhate who wanted to craft a space for her studio dedicated to the joys of living — through design, art, food and music. The SÃR Studio is a part of a bigger series of residences that attempt to be creative springboards for individuals looking to collaborate; a communal space in its truest sense.
The palette is stark, bare, a mix of warm browns and cold greys spread across an area of 2,200-square-feet and one level that houses living areas, a kitchen, a bedroom, a master bath, a swimming pool, office and studios, even a courtyard, amphitheatre and connected terraces — all of which come together to form a unique experiential retail space for the brand. Bhate says that she wanted her guests to know what it’s like to use the brand’s products in a “day-to-day context.”
“The architecture is realized by architect Girish Doshi, who melds the ideologies of the locale with the essence of regional elements. As observed the blocks of buildings are extruded irregularly with cuboidal volumes, grounded through courtyards and bridged by terraces. Its ambiguity is a call to village houses; a cluster of unpretentious rooms built on mere necessity, rather than wishful designing,” Bhate adds.
You walk into the Pune design studio through the majestic amphitheatre — made of “waste” hollow slabs sourced from a precast concrete factory and Sadarhalli granite directly from the quarries — that then leads you into the shared living areas where you can put your feet up and share a conversation over some tea. Bhate further explains the layout in meticulous detail. “From the amphitheatre, you spot three individual buildings, connected through open courtyards. Walking down towards a 6-metre-tall entrance to the ‘bungalow’, you will be connected to the ‘living’ space of the SÃR residence. In this building, you come across a living room, and the communal kitchen with dining spaces overlooking the swimming pool into the green valley. The bungalow also hosts a meeting room. Connected by the courtyards, you move to the guest bedroom; a cozy room with an attached bathroom open to the sky. The bedroom has two private outdoor lounges. The bedroom’s back door leads to the studio building. Here, you come across SÃR Studio’s workspace, set with work tables, material libraries, and a small shop for accessories and collaborating brand works.”
As a self-sustained brand, the biggest challenge for Bhate was to complete the project in the shortest period possible, but the idea was also to build a community around the studio where people could come for a moment of rest. Here, guests are welcome to book a stay using Airbnb, use the communal kitchen, and common areas for private meetings or personal work, or rent the space to host gatherings, exhibitions and events. “In each case, SÃR becomes a backdrop, whether in space or through furniture and objects using the brand products,” Bhate says.
But the design studio has more than what meets the eye, with nooks tucked away out of sight, which, when found, open up a new dimension to the space. In symmetrical harmony lies a stairway that’s hidden amidst the giant blocks of the amphitheatre. There’s a secret pathway that meanders into an orchard, which allows a farm-to-table approach for the studio, complementing its holistic approach to a well-rounded living. “Cook the food next to you with the authentic flavours from the regional grill that sings the palette of the locale. By drawing the freshly grown elements that are harvested near you in these moments, magic blooms inadvertently,” Bhate says.
Only a three-and-a-half hour’s drive away from South Bombay, this space by the SÃR Studio is an advocate for slow and mindful living through material pleasures, all of which assemble under the same roof for an immersive experience like little other.
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