Looking for the future of design? Meet the winners of Kohler Bold Design Awards 2024

The wait is finally over. The highly-awaited verdict of Kohler Bold Design Awards 2024 is here! Since its inception in 2016, Kohler Bold Design Awards has had a significant impact on the architecture and design community. It is a biannual event by Kohler India to recognise and honour outstanding achievements by Indian architects and designers. 

Kohler was founded in 1873 and is headquartered in Wisconsin, United States of America, being one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies that has mastered kitchen and bathware. Over more than a decade in India, Kohler’s innovative spirit has redefined the outlook on design. In its fourth edition, the Kohler Bold Design Awards celebrate groundbreaking ideas, sustainable practices, and the transformative power of design. 

The distinguished panel of jurors from India and abroad, Benny Kuriakose, Carl Almeida, Hiren Patel, Neelkanth Chhaya, Rahul Mehrotra, Sandeep Khosla, Shahira Fahmy and Sheila Sri Prakash, brought their expertise and discerning eye to the process. Gathering at the Oberoi Udaivilas against the picturesque backdrop of Udaipur’s architectural heritage, the jurors narrowed 2,300 entries down to just 54 nominees and 12 winners, one in each category. Peruse the winning ideas and stirring designs that took home the Golden Pencil.

Commercial: Malay Doshi of Studio Saransh

Good design is born of experimentation, and what better space to experiment than your own architectural studio? Away from the fast-paced city life, Studio Saransh’s workspace called Oasis sits at one with the landscape of rural Ahmedabad.  With a central water body, fortress-like basalt walls and a steel frame structure, the studio questions the typology of a space that informs an architectural practice.

Hospitality: Wangchuk Dorji (based on concept design by Bill Bensley)

Along the Mo Chhu River, Pemako Punakha was created by Yuendrung Construction based on a concept design by Bill Bensley. It is a 21-tent luxury getaway in Bhutan inspired by a secluded Himalayan sanctuary and Bhutanese Dzongs. Set amidst 60 acres of forested terrain, Pemako Punakha is as peaceful as a monastery but with plenty of worldly comforts!

Residential: Kiron Cheerla of Kiron Cheerla Architecture Design

Located in Hyderabad, the Pott House by Kiron Cheerla Architecture Design stood out to the jurors because of its construction with an innovative roof structure and wooden truss system. MADDI Karra wood native to Andhra and Telangana, was selected for its robustness, density, and natural resistance to termites. The project also provides a material and formal contrast to the infrastructure of the city’s rapidly rising urban condition. 

Public Institution: Nischal Abhaykumar and Jesal Pathak of M9 Design Studio

Architecture and cinema have a lot in common, and this project exemplifies the phrase “theatrics of space.” The Doctor Vishnuvardhan Memorial Complex in Mysore designed by Nischal Abhaykumar and Jesal Pathak of M9 Design is a cinematic structure that acts as a tribute to the iconic actor while serving as a community hub for dialogue and social change. Housing a photo gallery and a space to host film events, the complex communicates the power of the cinema and architecture in bringing people together.

Retail: Sanchit Arora & Sanjay Arora of RENESA Architecture Design Interiors Studio

Retail therapy is wildly underrated, especially if it involves browsing in a striking space such as this! Sanchit Arora and Sanjay Arora of Renesa Architecture Design Studio created a flagship store for Seema Gujral in New Delhi that is bold, grand and audacious. The design ties traditional voluminous courtyard through closely knit visually striking alleys that open into five different sections, each based on a unique collection. Talk about couture! 

Young and Upcoming Talent: Saurabh Singla & Palak Singla of Design i.O

It’s time to shine the spotlight on the work of a stellar emerging practice. Appearing to rise from the landscape itself, Design i.O’s House of Mango Shadows is surrounded by trees and designed such that none were felled in the process. As though a sign of the times, Saurabh and Palak Singla who lead this emerging practice, capture the increasing need to situate human habitats in harmony with nature.

Rebuild and revive: Kamal Malik and Arjun Malik of Malik Architecture

The 140-year-old Ambico Ice Factory is located in Ballard estate, in the heart of Mumbai’s heritage precinct. Through its revival, Kamal and Arjun Malik of Malik Architecture challenged the landscape of restoration. Re-imagined as IFBE, the architects refer to the built form as an organism and a space for art, exhibition, events, performances and conversations. Their approach heightens the tenuous relationship between the found object and the new intervention, exploring the liminal space between speculation (IF) and reality (BE).

Material and Skill Adaptation: Raghav Kumar and Ansh Kumar of Tiny Farm Lab

With several categories like Environmental Conscious, Material and Skill Adaptation and the Herbert Kohler Award for Innovation. Kohler Bold Design Awards champions sustainability and climate-conscious design. And while this winning entry would fit right into The Lord of the Rings franchise, there is more than meets the eye at The Tiny Lab’s Tiny Farm Fort. 

Designed by Raghav and Ansh Kumar, here the earthen plaster cob walls, stone arched gateway and the reciprocal frame living roof merge the building with the landscape. Most natural materials have been sourced locally or salvaged from old houses. The building is sheltered by a canopy of eucalyptus wooden beams with earthen flooring finished with linseed oil. 

Community harmony: Avinash Ankalge and Harshith Nayak of A Threshold

Architecture is not only informed by society but also enriches it. 40 km south of Bengaluru, Subterranean Ruins designed by Avinash Ankalge and Harshith Nayak of A Threshold is a deconstructed public space which is accessible to the nearby village and serves as a primary school, kindergarten, exhibition gallery for local artists and craftsmen and a venue for workshops and events. This project served the community even during the construction phase, training the local workforce — providing employment as well as fostering a strong relationship between the people and the architecture.

Landscape Design: Vinod Cyriac & Anita Choudhuri of SPACEART

The mark of responsible landscape design is keeping the focus on the Earth itself and Kinare by SPACEART does just that. The site covering almost an acre located in Thalakulathur, Calicut, is highly contoured sloping towards the river. Architects Vinod Cyriac and Anita Choudhuri’s careful planning of the built structure while keeping the natural greens undisturbed was what stood out to the jury.

Environmental Conscious: Amitha Madan of Treelight Design

The Earth by Amitha Madan of Treelight Design features a lightweight MS frame structure and locally sourced CSEB walls. Throughout the project, the details are fixed without the use of cement, taking inspiration from the mortarless construction of ancient temples. 

Herbert Kohler Award for Innovation: Avinash Ankalge & Harshith Nayak of A Threshold

This is the award of all awards. In the early 1970s, Herbert Kohler defined THE BOLD LOOK OF KOHLER, transforming utilitarian spaces into statements of design, style, sophistication and craftsmanship. He presented the world with a fresh new perspective on everyday spaces. And today, we celebrate design’s revolutionary spirit in his honour. 

A Threshold took the award home for the Subterranean Ruins in Bengaluru. While we have spoken about its role in the community, it also makes a strong case for sustainable construction, aesthetics and functionality. Local materials within a 40 km radius were used for the exteriors and interiors. Exposed red brick masonry walls, sourced from a local kiln and cobblestones from a nearby black-granite quarry reduced transport and carbon footprints while supporting local labour and craftsmen. The sloping site enabled a stormwater collection system, irrigating the local fruit orchards. Not to mention, the delightful illustrations that offer a glimpse into the design process.

John Michael Kohler Lifetime Achievement Award: Kulbhushan Jain

This accolade is reserved for a designer whose work has left a lasting mark on their field, inspiring generations to come, much like the man it is named after. John Michael Kohler, founder of the world-renowned brand Kohler was an industrialist with humble beginnings who later went on to become the 27th mayor of the city of Sheboygan in Wisconsin. Greatness is truly achieved through perseverance!

This year we celebrate the legacy of Kulbhushan Jain, a renowned architect, urbanist, conservation consultant and a beloved professor who studied and worked with Louis Kahn. He has worked on several architectural heritage projects including the ongoing work at the Mehrangarh and Amber Forts in Rajasthan. He was also the Director of the School of Architecture at the CEPT Ahmedabad.

“At Kohler, we believe that bold design has the power to transform spaces and elevate everyday living. The Kohler Bold Design Awards have become a premier platform in India’s design and architecture landscape. In this fourth edition, we were astounded by the sheer number of exceptional submissions, showcasing the incredible talent of our design community. Over 2000 + nominations were received, showcasing the incredible creativity and forward-thinking mindset of India’s design community.”  says Ranjeet Oak, Managing Director – Kitchen & Bath, South Asia, Kohler.

Held on the evening of 18th October at Mumbai’s Liberty Cinema, Kohler Bold Design Awards 2024 was a grand success. In the iconic Art Deco theatre, inaugurated in 1949, a star-studded cast of renowned architects and interior designers gathered to celebrate the best of Indian design. Through KBDA, Kohler India offers a platform for dialogue and a space where emerging designers can engage with the veterans of the field, enriching the community and the landscape of creativity in the subcontinent.

To know more about Kohler Bold Design Awards, visit www.kbda.asia!