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    Cyrus Patel: Name to know

    MAY 5, 2016 | By Tasneem Merchant
    CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT Once an unused extension of a house in Bengaluru, Cyrus Patel and Eliza Higgins transformed the space into a seating area and reading space for the house; Spoonful of Sugar in Bengaluru is a playful cafe envisioned by Cyrus and Eliza with custom handmade grey tiles and mosaics; An abandoned watch factory was converted into the Ekya Early Years Montessori with lush greenery where children can also interact with nature; The Godrej Design Lab winning Peggi Light. The conical shade can be adjusted at different heights and angles for effective lighting; The Godrej Design Lab winning Peggi Light. The conical shade can be adjusted at different heights and angles for effective lighting.

    “I have wanted to be an architect for as long as I can remember; perhaps this was due to a lot of travel when I was younger as well as being exposed to a number of my parents friends that are architects,” discloses Cyrus Patel straight off the bat. The Bengaluru-based architect was one of the eight creatives shortlisted for Godrej Design Lab 2016, a product design competition held by Godrej in association with ELLE DECOR India.

    A graduate of Yale University, he and his wife Eliza Higgins founded their own architectural practice, Collective Project in 2013. A mammoth’s chunk of their work revolves around reconciling the inside with the outside. “For us, the two are intrinsically linked. It would be difficult to design a project that does not have some connection to the outdoors…in all our current projects we design both simultaneously,” he adds. For the competition, he envisioned Peggi Light, a simple yet productive creation which stemmed from the idea of an office peg board! “I enjoy thinking about design at smaller scales such as objects or furniture.

    The primary goal of this proposal is two-fold – it strives to achieve a product that is finely crafted as well as responsive and adaptable to any environment.” For Cyrus, who loves sketching, Godrej Design Lab provided him “The much-needed push to see one of those ideas realised. I think it is a great opportunity for young designers. It was an honour to be one of the select few.”Currently, he is working on a number of single family homes and residential interiors in Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kodaikanal, Chennai and Mumbai.

    Website: www.collective-project.com