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Vani Kola: Kohler Bold Design Award winner – Master Patron
JUN 23, 2017 | By Tasneem Merchant
L-R:KK Raghava was brought on board as a curator for the artworks displayed in the area;Left: Vani Kola, winner of Master Patron Right: Sunitha Kondur of Hundredhands who nominated Vani for the award;The brief Vani had in mind for the project was simply that the space should be inspiring and conducive for collaborations;The 16,000 sq ft K-Start office has a simple material palette of natural stone, brick, cement and timber.
It is rare in today’s time to find someone who will appreciate and fully understand the value of your hard work. In fact, there are only a handful of people who will give you a free reign when exploring your creativity – be it a painting, a commissioned artwork or even interiors. Those who find such clients and collaborators, are truly grateful for all the support and encouragement they receive when embarking on a project.
Co-founder of Bengaluru based multi-disciplinary studio Hundredhands, Sunitha Kondur knows the feeling of working with a person who aligns and invests in your vision, which is why she felt that her client, Vani Kola deserved this award.
When Vani wanted an office designed for her venture K-Start, she turned towards the firm that had previously designed her corporate offices. The brief was simple – the office ecosystem and environment must inspire the young people to dream big, address fears and challenges and encourage collaboration.
Sunitha Kondur and her business partner, Bijoy Ramachandran took up the challenge to design the 16,000 sq ft space. Right from the off set, Vani was sure she wanted to include artworks in the space. For this, renowned artist KK Raghava was brought on board as the curator. He set up a residency with fellow artists such as Shilo Shiv Suleiman, Sean Stevens and Nikhil More to integrate the art into the general layout of the office.
Sunitha and Bijoy worked with a simple palette of natural stone, brick, cement and timber to keep the look clean with a slight industrial edge. The open plan space provides enough movement within the interiors to fulfill the clients brief.
We talk to her and Vani on winning the Kohler Bold Design Awards, working together and everything in between.
ELLE DECOR India: Two qualities that make Vani a Master Patron
Sunitha Kondur: Her insight and belief that good design will enhance the quality of life and creativity of people working in that space and her trust in our design abilities and positive collaboration in achieving what we set out do in redefining the workspace.
ED: What does winning the Kohler Bold Design Award mean to you?
Vani Kola: It means the recognition of the fact that architecture, design and business values are closely interlinked
ED: Two qualities that stand out about your architect?
VK: The willingness to capture the true purpose the client is trying to serve through the project and not compromising when it comes to achieving excellence.
Website: www.kstart.in; www.hundredhands.com
Also read: Take a look at Arpan Shah’s Kohler Bold Design Award winning project
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