About Us

Our work strives to enhance our sense of surroundings, identity and relationship to others and the physical spaces we inhabit, whether feral or human-made.

Selected Awards
  • 2004 — Aga Khan Award for Architecture
  • 2009 — Mies van der Rohe Award
  • 2013 — AIA/ALA Library Building Award
  • 2015 — Best Interior, Designers Saturday
  • 2016 — AIA New York Honor Award
February 9, 2024

THE MINIMALIST PAUSE-POD

Let’s be honest, the pandemic, and the various lock-downs we’ve been through have turned man into an island. For this reason, it was only a matter of time till we took comfort in social media platforms to bridge over these troubled waters. The Insta-Image, the canvas for all, or most, of our posts became; our bedroom, the kitchen, bathrooms, and perhaps, even our backyard. This only meant that our home had to suddenly become Insta-worthy to reflect our posts, and as a result, our home space took on a more important role than just a place to gather at the end of the day. From then on, the pandemic, along with other more positive influences, shaped, and will continue to shape what is yet to be the next trend.

Trend prediction is an elaborate but useful practice which is adopted to analyse data and study the evolution of past trends, which in turn, deduce a vision for the future within a particular niche. Such a disciple requires forecasters to keep up to speed with various influences occurring across the globe, or even location-specific, which might cause a trend. The ‘Salone Del Mobile’ is one of the world’s most renowned interior-design oriented platforms, exhibiting designer furniture and interior design pieces a year ahead of their official launch date. Interior-design trend forecasters attend such events to bring themselves informed with what’s new in the industry and attempt to predict the next new trends. Designers and architects alike, evaluate such trend forecasts to identify a pattern prior to adopting such influences into their designs. Here’s what I think the future holds.

 

Versatility in the use of space has always been a priority. Working, studying, and organising meetings from home has become an essential part of our new-normal. Cosy reading nooks, the extra desk, or the home-office, will find their way into each vacant space within your home, while plants and indoor trees will creep into the living room to satiate our need to connect with nature. Unintrusive, green pastel colours will become a popular option for indoor furniture, especially kitchens. This nature-driven palette will complement the, biophilic design within our spaces, especially with the use of natural light, raw materials, which will act as a backdrop for our indoor-garden. Yet, before investing in your private patch of greenery, do your research. Discuss the available space with your local nursery regarding what can survive indoors without too much maintenance. Just in case you’re still new to the game, here are a few options;
  • Philodendron scandens, also known as, the Sweetheart Plant is a climber which can survive in semi to full-shaded spaces.
  • Ficus lyrate, the Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree, is a hardy stunning plant with large green leaves. This plant requires lots of sun and weekly watering. Wiping the leaves every couple of months will remove any accumulated dust while increasing the efficiency of photosynthesis.
  • Monstera deliciosa, known as the Swiss cheese plant, enjoys unique cut-out-shaped leaves. Such a plant adds character to your indoors no matter how void of natural light it is.
Our traditional ‘office-hours’ have, in practice, been altered. Let’s face it, we’re always connected, so having our own ‘pause-pods’ which act as quarters to regain head-space and clarity, will create the sweet spot required to keep sane and mentally healthy during the years to come. Comfort, including visual-comfort, does not always necessarily come at a price. A subtle transition of stylistic influences from retro to zen, along with minimalism will become fashionable in 2022. Interiors will be  composed of simple geometry and honest, natural materials. Accompanied with white walls, this fusion of styles will provide you with a versatile canvas, capable of accommodating almost any piece of furniture. Black accents are also seen to make a comeback, so layering your interiors with vintage furniture pieces or touches of black decorative items is also a good idea. Such accents will add sophistication, and depth, to your interiors.

Curves within our interiors, especially when it comes to furniture, will remain popular in the years to come. Our rekindled love towards our interiors keeps this romantic and organic shape present. Curves are both easier on the eyes, as well as being soothing while offering a sense of comfort; which is exactly what we require from our interiors during these times. Another new soothing trend with regards to interiors include blue hues. Dulux have launched their 2022 colour, ‘Bright skies’, which is described as a ‘ light, airy and optimistic blue’ representing the sky and outdoors, which further points to the fact that the line between outdoors and indoors is blurring out.

The gained awareness of our surroundings, especially with regards to the quality of our indoors, will bring a new, personalised, level of attention to detail. As a result, functionality, practicality, and aesthetics will find a coherent balance within our spaces. Moreover, social-media and our multiple communication platforms make it hard to ever ‘leave the office’. Naturally, soothing and relaxing spaces, known as pause-pods, have become a health-requirement at home. There has never been a time more important than this to invest in the comfort of your home – a  space which you have, almost, complete control of. A space that takes care of you and your needs in a world that gets faster every day.