It’s a farm-to-fork discovery!

The crowd-favourite Bandra resident (read: cafe) Project Hum now has a second outpost in Mumbai designed by kaviar:collaborative

21 May 2025

Pratishtha Rana

In the palatable sea of farm-to-plate offerings served at Project Hum, a community and ingredients-focused cafe in Mumbai, the bestseller perhaps has been its performative live kitchen, visually accessible to the diners at all times. A daily occurrence: this lively scene set at the open kitchen sees chefs meticulously handling ingredients and garnishes into bundles of dishes — a feature that now also is crucial to Project Hum’s new outpost in Versova built by kaviar:collaborative. “The dynamics of food preparation become a part of the ambiance, as the sights, sounds and smells of cooking unfold in real time, offering a front-row seat to the art and energy that goes into each dish,” say principal architects Kasturi Wagh and Vineet Hingorani of kaviar:collaborative.

"Turning a dark, dilapidated production office into a bright, inviting café filled with natural materials and lush greenery was incredibly rewarding" — Kasturi and Vineet

The cafe — airy, community-friendly and sheltered amid greens and terracotta — was once a dingy, dilapidated office, the duo tells us. Now the 1,350 sq ft layout flows across a verandah-like entrance, a grab-and-go window, indoor and backyard outdoor seating, a live kitchen, a community work table and a sunlight-deluged backyard amphitheatre seating. The architects intended for the final canvas of the cafe to echo the moods of being at home. “The cafe has been thoughtfully designed to accommodate a spectrum of experiences, each space responds to different moods, needs and rhythms of the day, fostering a sense of community,” the duo explains.

Vernacular and inclusive

Sunny yellow and teal blue, the signature tones of Project Hum, stamp the corners in the form of custom-designed merchandise shelves, tilework and accent features. Consciously infusing the farm-to-plate story in the design of the cafe, farm-inspired materials and textures like terracotta bricks, IPS (Indian Patent Stone), smooth lime and concrete plaster for the walls and touches of oak wood steer the diner’s attention at the venue.

Community and ‘Work from Hum” table and live counter, Nordic Macaroon Pendant Lamps from Whispering Homes; Photography by Saurabh Suryan

Things to notice when at Project Hum…

The layout here is a lesson in designing with a purpose. One of the challenges in converting an erstwhile derelict office into a cafe was the site’s linearity. “It almost mimicked a train bogie.” To evoke curiosity for what’s to come next and shaping an effortless spatial navigation, the architects explored several zoning configurations.

Notice how the design ensures that meandering the indoor-to-outdoor expanse of the cafe feels like a journey through the bucolic heartlands, while the city hums in the background. “We were inspired by the forms and textures of rustic dwellings in the farmlands of India,” muse Kasturi and Vineet.

When you feel like transitioning from your solo cocoon to a social shell, the Work from Hum community table sitting against a backdrop of vibrant greens lends moments to collaborate and enjoy the collective chaos. While the takeaway window that you’ll meet at the entryway promises you quick culinary fixes on the go!