We went live during the FOAID Virtual Week for an exhilarating Panel Discussion - Space. Memory. Time. | Exploring A Case For Adaptive Re-Use - moderated by our principal Puran Kumar, with Abin Chaudhari (Abin Design Studio), Akshat Bhatt (Architecture Discipline) and Soumitro Ghosh (Mathew and Ghosh Architects) forming the panel.

As a practice, Adaptively Re-using spaces has emerged as a flexible, economically viable and sustainable alternative to the conventional way of building.

Apart from being historical markers or culturally significant symbols, these could be identified and transformed to effectively activate spaces not only within specific boundaries but also go beyond - possibly culminating in the regeneration of space at the urban scale.

Through this, we explored the many layers that exist when it comes to the rehabilitation of spaces by breathing new life into them.

Project Awas gets featured as part of a compendium of Unbuilt Projects within the sub-continent in 'Unbuilt 2.0'.

Project Awas is a project in continuation. An idea that found its roots in the mind of a connoisseur of art, and stemmed in the heart of an altruist. The unending insatiable hunt to unearth talent, led to its conception.

Our Principal Puran Kumar went live with India Design ID to discuss his journey as an architect, the philosophy of the studio as well as what is in store for the future. 

We are delighted to announce that our article "The Workspace of Tomorrow: Space, Community & Flexibility in a Connected World" was featured in the April Edition of INSCAPE, an initiative by IIID⁣.

Our entry for the Stir Creativity Fundraiser - 'Pandemic Classifieds | Advertisements of the Future' - was shortlisted by STIR World as part of the artworks to be auctioned, towards COVID-19 Relief.

We went LIVE with a Special Edition of 'Stories @ The Loft' with Huzefa Rangwala - Director & Co-Founder MuseLAB & Manish Gulati - Founding Partner M:OFA, for a tête-à-tête on design, the current scenario and the future⁣

‘In Conversation at The Mango House’ - in its Second Edition - not only focussed on the ethos of The Mango House but also served as the backdrop for the unveiling of a new Design Lab - The Shell.

We believe that the lab or The Shell will provide an opportunity to push the envelope and go beyond our work in the city by experimenting and dabbling in research work, the design of products, graphics and sharing unique narratives - which will involve workshops and seminars as well.

We were invited to posit 'A Case for Adaptive Re-Use in South Bombay' at K.R.V.I.A Encounters where we presented and discussed three of our projects - The Loft, Tianu - The Revival Project & The Estate.  

We are excited to announce that '5 Element House' was featured as part of the 5th Edition of '50 Beautiful Houses in India'

'Aakar' is the annual festival of L.S. Raheja School of Architecture. As a studio, we were invited to explore the ethos of the studio through some of our works at the event.

An Architecture & Design event held annually, WADe India Asia is the platform for celebrating Women-led development in Architecture, Art and Design.

Our principal, Puran Kumar, was invited to be part of an illustrious Panel to discuss - Brick, Bale & Brush: Connection between Art & Architecture - as well as serve as a Jury Member during the Live Presentation Events. 

Jaquar Group sponsors iGEN Design Forum 2019 at Shangri-La, Bangalore. It was the 7th consecutive year of sponsorship by Jaquar Group which saw more than 450 architects assemble under one roof. iGEN is today a prominent event within the Architects & Interior Designers fraternity. iGen Design Forum is an annual initiative by ITP Publishing to uncover 50 of India’s next generation architects and interior designers, below 40, who are doing exemplary work and raising the bar for the next generation.

Puran Kumar was invited to be part of a captivating & interactive panel discussion that explored Design, Innovation & Technology, with an eminent panel of speakers.

‘Stories @ The Loft’ was kickstarted as an attempt at bridging the gap between students and professionals. ⁣

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The three editions have focussed on bringing different creative minds together to share their experiences, interact with students & young professionals, as well as engage in a critical discourse of the profession.⁣

The Second Edition of Stories was an intriguing session that explores the idea of Place. Memory. Identity through Art, Architecture and Photography and the power of the three mediums to shape perceptions and reality today - with ⁣Robert Verrijt on Architecture, ⁣ ⁣Pravina Mecklai on Art⁣ & Jagdish Agarwal on Photography.

The Third Edition of Stories @ The Loft ⁣focussed on the following:

⁣Connecting People & Places | Unravelling the Coastal Road Project with Mr. Rahul Kadri⁣

⁣Discussing and debating the largest and one of the most expensive infrastructure projects in the city⁣

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Through the Lens with Fabien Charuau⁣

⁣Exploring the role of the Modern Photographer and examine the meaning of Photography in the 21st Century.⁣

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'Stories @ The Loft’ was the first step towards bringing different creative minds together to share their experiences, interact with students & young professionals, as well as engage in a critical discourse of the profession. 

‘In Conversation at The Mango House’ is a new segment where we wish to take that thought further and explore multiple facets of architecture and design through talks, screenings & exhibitions. 

Further, the unique setting of Awas Village in Alibaug, provides the possibility of identifying and documenting areas for research and engaging with local and traditional techniques that could form the basis of future sessions - culminating in workshops and seminars.

The First Session involved a curated tour of The Mango House followed by a discussion with Studio PKA - Moderated by Shriti Das ( Sub - Editor - Indian Architect & Builder).

Stories are an intrinsic part of human civilization, and the dissemination of information grew through the art of narration. 

‘Stories @ The Loft’ marks the first in a series - a mix of talks, exhibitions and screenings at the studio.

From architecture to design and from art to culture, the initiative seeks to bring together creative minds from across the country to share their knowledge and experiences with students and young professionals.

The First Edition focussed on exploring and discussing the numerous overlaps, folds and intersections between creative fields today.

‘Timeless Living’ takes you on a journey of exploring 33 different but interesting residential projects across Singapore, Australia, the United States of America, India, Sri Lanka & Bangladesh.

‘5 Element House’ finds place among the 33 residences and is featured over 14 pages - captured in vivid details through drawings and images alike.

FOAID, since its inception aims to create a benchmark where the stalwarts & future designers share a common platform, to discuss how the design world has transformed & innovated over the years.

The advent of the internet, social media platforms and the smartphone has led us down a precarious road in a hyper connected world. 

Even in our sub - genre of life that is 'Design', we have embraced social media leading to an unprecedented ascent in 'Instagrammable' content. This raises some important questions pertaining to the originality of design, authenticity of expression and an influence of thought. 

At the Delhi Edition of the Event, Puran Kumar was invited to moderate a panel discussion on #designtoday - Form Follows Doubletap, which seeks to explore the relationship between design and media as we now know it.

Index is a leading international trade fair and India's largest focused commercial platform on interiors, architecture and design.

On the occasion of its 30th Edition, Puran Kumar was invited to present 'An Ode to the Humble Brick' at 'Material Matters'. The talk sought to elucidate the use of the material as a sustainable approach to architecture and design, through some of the studio's works as well as through concepts explored in the field. 

Now in their 7^th Year, Construction Week India Awards is the most recognized and highly valued awards ceremony celebrating the achievements of the country’s construction and infrastructure players.

Puran Kumar was amongst an illustrious jury that comprised Real Estate Experts, Consultants, Architects and Financial World bigwigs who were entrusted to choose the winners from hundreds of nominations, from across the country, through a transparent and unbiased selection process.

iGEN Design Forum 2017 is a unique one-day design and knowledge forum, which provides an excellent platform for decision makers from the architectural and interior design fraternity, along with various associations of the construction industry.

Puran Kumar was invited as the Keynote speaker and put forth his thoughts on architecture and design through the presentation: Experiences, Material and Form. The segment sought to explore experiences that drive spatial configuration and design narratives, which also arise as a consequence of a built form that is both organic and contextually aware.

FOAID, since its inception aims to create a benchmark where the stalwarts & future designers share a common platform, to discuss how the design world has transformed & innovated over the years.

The theme – ‘Let’s Uncondition’ – sought to ‘explore newer grounds in architecture and design by breaking away from the chaos of patterns and a conditioned thought process.’

At the Mumbai edition of Event, Puran Kumar was invited to kickstart the proceedings by moderating the first panel discussion – Perfect Strangers: Design Meets Story, which was preceded by a Flashback of FOAID ’16 and a presentation to set the tone.

An eminent and distinguished panel of 6 architects and designers, an enthusiastic audience and the grand stage all contributed towards yet another engrossing, informative and successful event at FOAID.

Canadian Wood with FOAID 2017 honors innovation, function and aesthetic advancements in the furniture Industry. Students from premiere architecture colleges from across the city of Mumbai worked under the guidance of established architects and interior designers to arrive at a ‘unique furniture piece’ crafted out of Western Hemlock.

Led by Puran Kumar, Studio PKA was invited to mentor and guide students from Balwant Sheth School of Architecture.

The Studio was delighted to learn that the team of 7 went on to bag the Second Position for their ‘multi-functional, iterative furniture piece – designed for libraries and reading rooms’ - titled ‘Furore’.

PechaKucha, a Japanese term that translates to ‘chit-chat’, was devised as an event for Architects and by Architects. The style focuses on quick paced and concise presentations – 20 slides x 20 seconds – where speakers present their ideas while strictly adhering to the rules.

Kohler Bold organizes fun, riveting and informal PechaKucha styled events across the country – 6 cities to be precise – by inviting illustrious architects and designers to share their thoughts and start a conversation on ‘design, architecture, art and other topics of interest.’

In its 5^th Edition, Puran Kumar was invited, along with 4 stalwart architects to ‘battle it out over Beauty Lies in Imperfection.’

The Modern Home: Luxury Design and Interiors in India is a compendium of 35 houses and apartments designed by significant Indian Architects and Designers. The book attempts to epitomize the notion of the luxurious Modern Indian Home, while embodying the hybrid concepts that transcend geographic boundaries and influences.
Alluding to the vernacular, a rich sense of culture and tradition is ever present as The Mango House spills over from the dust jacket, at both ends, and spreads out, covering the span of the open book. Featured over 14 pages, The Mango House is resplendent and is captured in all its glory through vivid image spreads, interspersed with concept notes that delve deeper into the story and thought behind the abode.

Founded in 2006, ET ACETECH was conceptualized to bring all the architects, designers, developers, engineers, contracting companies, material suppliers and technology providers under one roof for displaying and sourcing products expediently. Encouraged by the optimistic response to ACETECH each year, ACETECH 2015 embarked on the road to pursue its aim and vision, to widen the reach of the platform, in order to ensure it becomes the converging point for Industry specialists across the globe. To accomplish the objective ACETECH launched ACE INTERFACE.
Puran Kumar, along with 4 other eminent architects, was invited to participate as a panelist at ACE INTERFACE 2016, Bangalore. Moderated by Jürgen Mayer of J. Mayer H. Architects, the panel was titled: “The Tactile Form – Patterns of Architecture and Materiality”. The discourse sought to explore the ideas of repetition, ornament, materiality and sensual experience in architecture.
The Mango House was presented and discussed not only through the haptic qualities of surfaces but also experiential aspects of space – atmospheres, smell, lighting, daily rhythms and temporal repeats like seasonal patterns.

iGEN Design Forum 2017 is a unique one-day design and knowledge forum, which provides an excellent platform for decision makers from the architectural and interior design fraternity, along with various associations of the construction industry.

Puran Kumar was invited as the Keynote speaker and put forth his thoughts on architecture and design through the presentation: Experiences, Material and Form. The segment sought to explore experiences that drive spatial configuration and design narratives, which also arise as a consequence of a built form that is both organic and contextually aware.

Construction Week India Awards are the most recognized and highly valued awards ceremony celebrating the achievements of the country’s construction and infrastructure players. The awards recognize and reward individual excellence, corporate prowess and project success. Puran Kumar was invited to serve as a member on the Grand Jury to review, score and adjudge the winners over several categories.

The “Think Turf Series”, an editorial initiative by the Architect & Interiors magazine, is a conversation between these personified ideologies and the fraternity. At the Ahmedabad edition of the Forum, Puran Kumar was invited as the Keynote Speaker to elaborate on these ideas which was presented under the title ‘Dimensions of Design’.

The definition of ‘what makes a home’ is changing every minute and we are currently on the verge of a major shift in the way we live and interact with our environment. The event comprised of Q&A sessions and interactive panel discussions in which Puran Kumar participated as a panel member.

With the rapid growth of the built environment and the adverse effect on the natural, Fensterbau Frontale India 2016 hosted at the Bombay Exhibition brought to the forefront a panel discussion on the importance of energy efficient facade design. With every architect’s conviction in their respective beliefs and practice, Puran Kumar summed up that “Net Zero energy building is essentially energy conservation on all ends- heat, water and air.

For more insights on The Mango House, be sure to visit the following websites :

The Future of Design

AEC Cafe

India Art n Design

TMH Inside Nominations

50 Amazing Homes -is a platform showcasing the outstanding architectural marvels from around the nation. PKA’s contribution to the distinguished collection is special as it documents and represents the very style and conviction associated with the Home. The Mango House recreates the magic in a theoretic presentation through larger than life images and drawings, bringing to life the earthy abode.

This event was designed to offer an opportunity to maximise one’s learning and business potential. It comprised of Q&A sessions and interactive panel discussions along with in-depth presentations, in which Puran Kumar participated as a panel member for ‘Smart Office Design & Build’.

PKA completed 20 years of practice in 2013. The Firm made the most of this opportunity by celebrating PKA@20, along with recognising key milestones and the people who helped formed a part of the journey! The celebrations were spread over a few events, organised to share the occasion among clients, team and friends of PKA!

Events like these motivate Team PKA to strive to do our best, and enjoy the trust and respect of those who we partner with.

As per the IGen Design Forum format, the event comprised of interactive sessions with industry leaders and the architectural fraternity. They jointly tackled and addressed issues facing our emerging India. Amongst all the sessions, there was a presentation given by Puran Kumar on the ‘Simplicity of Design’ which highlighted the need of uncluttered design principles in an universal context, thereby making them efficient and pleasing to use in our otherwise cramped lives.

IIID Awards for Excellence in Interior Design, are one of the coveted awards in the country for recognising talent and honouring excellence in the interior design fraternity. The awards jury comprised eminent interior designers, design journalists, academicians and architects including Puran Kumar. This design extravaganza ended with the hope of raising the bar of excellence in interior design to a new height every year.