Leading by less

Pranav Patel Design Studio brings traditional wisdom to the new horizon in a home designed in collaboration with Hunnarshala in Anand, Gujarat

09 Feb 2026

Namrata Dewanjee

How often do we stop to consider the way we are supposed to live? What is the ideal human habitat? Is it one with enormous volumes with insurmountable ostentatiousness? Indomitable white walls closing in on you like a sensory deprivation tank? Or is the mental image closer to this 2,900 sq ft house in brick and mortar by Pranav Patel Design Studio in collaboration with Hunnarshala?

“This home is a dialogue between convenience and conscience, modernity and heritage,” says Pranav, who leads his eponymous studio, “We take immense pride in having shaped this architectural expression that celebrates sustainable living and local craftsmanship.” For a species which has for centuries been surrounded by shades of brown and terracotta, this kind of life is not new. Neither is the idea of local craftsmanship.

An architecture of restraint

What distinguishes this residence in Anand, Gujarat, is not novelty but the art of essentialism. In a time when houses are increasingly designed to be photographed rather than inhabited, it provides an alternative way. Its planning draws from a semi-courtyard typology, an age-old spatial intelligence that mediates light, heat and human interaction.

“Drawing inspiration from the organic forms of the land and the spirit of traditional craftsmanship, the residence features a dome structure that plays a pivotal role in its thermal performance,” says Pranav. This structure regulates air circulation and indoor temperatures around the vagaries of seasons. Its construction demanded foresight and discipline: electrification and plumbing were embedded during the building process. At the core of the residence lies a semi-courtyard that reinterprets this traditional spatial typology for today. In a repudiation of preconstruction templates, each detail became an elegy of the artisans whose stories and tacit knowledge remain as imprints on this canvas.

Weight of paring-back

“We collaborated closely with Hunnarshala, a Bhuj-based NGO dedicated to empowering artisans and reviving indigenous building techniques. From sourcing native materials to engaging skilled local labour, every decision was made with purpose,” Pranav tell us. Inside, the house is an antithesis to visual excess. The palette is inspired by the earth, using materials that are made from the soil. Light moves across textured brick walls and the concrete frame, animating the bare surfaces. A brick, that takes its form from the dimensions of the human hand, plays with varied arrangements to create patterns of interest. In an age of rampant consumerism, the merit of doing less is often underestimated. The residence takes the road less travelled by, offering no manifesto but an example of how the future of living may lie not in reinvention, but in filtering down our built environments.