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THE INSIDE TRACK February 2020
Interview
O
verriding the extremes of stiff pragmatism and poorly devised idiosyncrasies in furniture design, StudioWorks, an Ahmedabad-based furniture studio, strives to achieve a balanced exploration of form, function and materials in their collections. The studio displays insightful adaptation of the materials, astute understanding of the function, and a thrilling passion for innovative design. Here, Nehal Bhatt tells The Inside Track, ‘comfort is primary to furniture design since it is the most tangible’, and hence their exploration and study revolves around function first, followed by material and design.
StudioWorks Ahmedabad’s boutique carpentry studio,
StudioWorks artfully integrates India’s indigenous craft in their collections, and articulates their passion for good design through insightful explorations. my first real exposure to furniture making. After my graduation, I joined Quetzal designs, which was a furniture firm based in Bangalore. After a short stint at interior work in Surat, I moved to Ahmedabad and started practice as an interior designer. I was offered a teaching position in CEPT and taught as a full time faculty from 2005 to 2012. I set up the workshop in 2012.
Tell us about the story behind inception of StudioWorks.
Your collections are sensibly designed and celebrate the beauty of craftsmanship. Is there a conscious though behind customising and developing all your products?
We have a passion for design. We always want to find new expressions
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Nehal Bhatt
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in design through experiments with material, form and detail. In our early years as interior designers, we found the constraints and limitations of on-site manufacturing, frustrating. With the desire to achieve excellence in everything we made, we decided to set up a workshop to design, experiment and develop our own furniture and interior products.
Would you briefly tell us about your background and training? I graduated as an interior designer from the School of Design, CEPT, Ahmedabad in 2000. As a part of the course, I did my internship with Anish Shah Designs, Mumbai. Anish’s office was part of a furniture manufacturing unit, which was
Twirl
Each product is an opportunity to explore new ideas and comes with its unique set of possibilities. The function and usage pattern opens up avenues for exploration of form and structure. Once an idea is in place, it’s the process of making that takes over, which governs the development of details. There is an astute sense of structure, ergonomics along with striking aesthetics showcased in your work; how do you incorporate these factors seamlessly in your work?
