Exploring minimalism

ISSUE: 141

What does it take to create spaces that speak about a person?

N&S: We usually send out a questionnaire to all our potential clients, and one of the questions we ask is ‘If you had to be a piece of furniture what would you be?’ We’ve got some cool responses and some really weird ones too, but this always helps break the ice with the client and gives us an opening to interact with them. This helps us understand their personalities and propose a design that is at least for the most part reflective of them or their brand – and of us too.

What does it take to create a space that is sustainable and functional at the same time?

N&S: We strongly believe sustainability is more of a lifestyle choice which results in an individual consciously looking for functionality in all aspects of life. From a design point of view, selling the idea of ‘less is more’ to an audience that is used to always having more, is a huge challenge with every project. From a project feasibility point of view, we are still learning and working to balance sustainable practices with functional designs. It also has a lot to do with budgets, which affect the quality of materials, workmanship and detailing in addition to the client’s mindset.

How do you bridge the gap between what clients want and what is good for them?

N&S: This is always a struggle for any designer. It’s a long process of discussions, samples and live examples of practicality. Sometimes when a client insists on a particular thing, we weigh the pros and cons and most times when we internally conclude we are in the right, we just go ahead and make a decision. About 90% of the time, we prove to be correct. The balance of the time we take responsibility. In either case there is a fair amount of criticism from the client.

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