Ar. Pooja Bihani, Founder & Principal, Spaces & Design
- May 23, 2023
- By: Editorial Team
Pooja Bihani is an architect and interior designer based in Kolkata of Spaces & Design studio that offers architecture and interior design services for residences, workspaces, and lifestyle spaces. Bihani's design philosophy is based on the idea of creating spaces that are balanced, materialistic, and functional, enriching the life of the user in his habitat. Her design style portrays designing spaces ‘Inside-out’ integrating architecture into interiors and vice versa. Building Material Reporter shares an exclusive interview with her that enriches the ideas, design and execution. Here, Pooja Bihani talks about her design journey, her inspirations and how to craft experiential spaces.
Since 2008 Mr Sunil Tanwala and Pooja Bihani established a firm that operates over large interior design, architecture and Turnkey projects that have been executed in Bangalore, Raipur, Pune, Bombay and a lot of places in Odisha. She explained, “After six years of enough work experience a friend of my husband saw some of the work that I was doing and he came to me to design his home but the turning point for me was when he offered his 25000 Sqft and trusting the work that we had done based on a Green Building approaches, incorporating a lot of materials and techniques by the laws and to comply with the laws of the Green Building factors”.
According to her, the purpose of Spaces & Design is to create environs that epitomise harmony, aesthetics, and optimum functionality; enriching the life of the user in his habitat. The project that turned the design philosophy was Tree of Life which, was a very old house that was supposed to be converted into a Pranic Healing Center and a spa a holistic healing Therapy Center. The approach to the design concept was driven by the inherent laws of chronic healing which were supposed to be practised there, infusing the laws of the pranic healing principles as well as gaining a completely out-of-world Experience. They enrich the designs with elements of the ‘soul’ that refers to the emotional and personal connection individuals have with their surroundings.
“I believe that Architecture in Kolkata is a Heritage of the Britishers and the colonial architecture and it is inspiring as we see arches everywhere right now but the arches of Kolkata and their proportions are truly timeless. It is the responsibility of the young designers to restore this heritage infusing modernism into it and harmonize this ancient architecture” expressing Pooja Bihani.
Simplicity has a lot of beauty and that understated elegance is now very predominant in the architectural work at Calcutta, as a responsible professional we must take sustainability to another level by making the Heritage properties sustainable to restore the legacy of these buildings. She explained with an example of the Royal Kolkata Golf Club project as a very prestigious project and a commitment to maintaining the proportions and the heritage of a 128-year building now how we have integrated.
By choosing the right materials and the right techniques as well as collaborating with third-party agencies for automation-driven factors Interiors spaces can be crafted with elegance and smartness. Check out the video to learn her favourite project - Pranic Healing Center & Spa, Architectural Trends in Kolkata, Changing Perceptions and Innovation where materials are ruling the construction industry towards sustainable design.
Name of Firm: Spaces & Design
Principal Architect: Pooja Bihani
Specialisation: Residential, Workspace, Recreational
Website Link: spacesanddesign.com
