Architectural skins get a new dimension| The luxury of a chalet in an urban setting| The wine glass for your outdoor sojourns| Should climatically-sensitive architecture become a norm? And more

Architecture and design have never stood alone! They result in and manifest multifarious overtures; layers of nuanced social, cultural, economic, political and scientific agenda inform and are informed by architecture. Our feature on the clinic D in Quebec for a dermatologist, makes one sit up and take note how the medical profession views space and space planning; how climate plays a very significant role in building design – DFI showcases this in their ongoing project, Gulf Adiba Business Complex in Gurgaon; the restaurant Fable throws light on how design plays on the psyche of people, especially in the hospitality sector; and the chalet in Madrid endorses how lifestyle changes and aspirations elevate status through design. It is an ongoing, never-ending quest that drives us – the maker and the recipient (read designer and end user). I wonder is it a well-balanced equation, this research and enquiry on part of the designers and the avenue to put it to use on part of the user? Orproject is one design studio that we have followed since sometime and their enquiry into material, technique and technology is a driver for the future of design, as we increasingly inhabit a world powered by mechanisms and mechanisations. But, under it all, look closely and you will see how the new stems are rooted; rooted in our ancestral tenets of architecture... in the tried and tested, the explored and experimented... Only the context is changing, therefore the application, the methodology and the aesthetic. The root is intact! Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Open-plan spaces for better wellbeing| contemporary design with a strong cultural bent| themed interiors | and more

Design sensibilities have no pertinent definition. Approaches change with shifting priorities, user profiles, lifestyles... Our stories this week highlight different design sensibilities: from juggling space in a Paris apartment, opening it up to bespoke multifunctional spaces; architecture following an organic form inspired by the peacock - not just for aesthetic appeal but to optimise interior and exterior vistas; a relook at opening up spaces for a nursery school; design that draws from cultural heritage; and works out solutions to recreate a cultural vibe, despite constraints. A wholesome issue, we cover diverse fine details that you may be able to use - as a professional or a self- initiator. If you're one of those, who've been reading IAnD regularly, you will notice how our product hub section buzzes with all that's new in the market. Pl feel free.to try out this platform or suggest it to your colleagues, who might want to empower others with their offers. Team IAnD is happy to tailor packages to suit specific business endeavours. And do continue to write in with your very dynamic feedback. We simply love your reactions/ responses. Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Pursue a career as a colour consultant| The bright and bold of colour| Nude palettes and metallic glamour| Coloured sand art installations and more

Team IAnD are extremely appreciative of designer Emmanuelle Moureaux from Japan, who has taken time off her busy schedule to Guest Edit this Colour Special issue for our readers. Over to Emmanuelle to throw light on what this special holds for you... “I am often asked which is my favourite colour? I answer, “multicolour palette”. When I saw the cityscape of Tokyo for the first time, I was so impressed by thousands and thousands of colours floating in the cityscape, as layers, as three-dimensional elements. It was as if I was seeing colours for the first time! It was in that very moment that my mind decided to move to Tokyo. Inspired by colours of Tokyo everyday, I realized that colours can create a lot of emotions, create a unique atmosphere, felt entirely by the five senses, generating unlimited emotions. They can make people smile, laugh, surprise, react, talk, and in all the cases they create a special moment of happiness. Although we are surrounded by thousands of colours, usually most people are not conscious of that abundance. Just like Tokyo is my inspiration for colours, I hope you will become more conscious of the colours existing around you. In this special issue, you will discover colours from creators from London, Paris, Tokyo to Mumbai. I hope you enjoy them and see how exciting and stimulating it is to use many colours at once. When you go out to the street, feel the colours floating out there, and get inspired!” Cheers! Emmanuelle Moureaux Colour Expert & Designer, Tokyo Guest Editor –Colour Special Issue

Architecture’s Hybrid Typology| Apple’s new San Francisco store | Luxe Residences| Digital Potency & Art| and more

This week the onus is on new typologies, new avenues and refreshed way-findings. As we browse through the projects, we see how Ar. Mahesh Punjabi infuses the apartment with understated luxe levels cleverly and comfortably combining quirk with chic; Arquitectura en Movimiento Workshop refurbishes this Mexico apartment by stripping open the old and rejuvenating it with an amalgamation of the new; or for that matter, the hybrid typology of the Aarhus School of Architecture", where a contemporary architectural typology plays with existing old buildings… The language of design is continuously being reinvented with newer insights and experiential leanings. On this note, we announce our Colour Special issue spread over the coming week, where renowned award-winning Colour Expert, Tokyo-based French Ar. Emmanuelle Moureaux has very kindly consented to be our Guest Editor. Emmanuelle is particularly known for creating the concept of shikiri, which literally means "dividing (creating) space with colours". She uses colours as three-dimensional elements, like layers, in order to create spaces, not as a finishing touch applied on surfaces. So as we showcase the myriad qualities of colour and its native existence, Emmanuelle will equip our readers with some expert advice and her insights. Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Multifunctional Spaces| Flirting with glamour| Party all night| Amortising brand costs and more

In our selection of stories this week, we observe a common thread – design empowers. Whether it’s GESAMT Design’s residential layout that uses sliding partitions to camouflage or open up space, adding character to a space with each new configuration; or it is Ben Rousseau’s modern refurbishment of a classic Victorian interior; whether it is the coloured mirror by Elliott Barnes or the pragmatic plug-and-play that Zero 9 proposes for the expo pavilion, the interpretation and deliverance of the program goes much beyond its immediate application. It alludes to a cultural shift, a changing mindset! Interestingly nuanced, each story inspires, gives ideas galore... leaves a trail. Check them out and leave us your feedback. Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

How far will architecture adopt technology? |Fond memories of late artist A A Raiba| How to have new furniture everyday | and more

We are all in the throes of constantly emerging technologies, where tools are taking over the entire process of communication, facilitating speedy, effective coordination that directly promotes productivity. Yet, in this rat race for the better and then the best, are we actually complicating our lives or simplifying them? Are we losing the pleasures of personal interaction with the so-called hi-tech communication strategies that impersonally get the ball rolling? Is that the only end goal – productivity?! Chew on it. Lap up some excellent design stories with Smarin’s DIY furniture kit, a plush home in the Big Apple and a plush office in Kolkata; besides getting to know more about how NBBJ Architects are developing virtual and augmented reality tools for optimum architectural building construction. Do write in Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

A flat water-bottle for your pocket| Denmark’s gravity-defying cantilevered museum | Glass Art for stylish urbane decor| and more

We spoke of equanimity last week and here we have a cover story that absolutely fits the bill. S+PS Architects’ design for this home is a well-thought-out exercise in reviving the charm of yesteryears in today’s context; and very successfully indeed. Their design is contemporised so it blends in comfortably in the now, whilst evoking a subtle rootedness. When a designer considers the humane approach above all else, the design is invariably a success! Sensitivity in design is seen in the Glifo writing and drawing tools that are designed to empower neurologically challenged children. They address multiple brain-related pathologies in a very gentle and disarming manner and succeed at the tough goal of rehabilitation of these patients. Our other stories for you include glass art by Dubai-based Anjali Srinivasan’s glass art studio ChoChoMa; gravity-defying cantilever for a rock museum; young photographer Ganji’’s lens-scapes in magnificent Iran and renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s latest ‘slice’ of high-rise architecture. Don’t forget to read about the ingeniously designed Memobottle. Wonder why no one thought of this earlier! Enjoy the issue. Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Jawahar Kala Kendra revitalised| Origami – much more than paper art | Coastal Sardenia’s luxury villa| Tomorrow’s spaces| and more

There is a holistic approach to design. Increasingly, seamlessness is being nurtured. Crossovers are being engineered. The focus is on accomplishing something new, something different. It is not a mindset wanting to break free; neither does this seemingly new trend of sorts stem from a rejection of hitherto practised design processes or methodologies. It is but a response to contemporary times, attempting to keep pace with unexplored iterations. So we have the art of origami fusing with the built form as facade; fusing with attire in fashion design; we have spaces emoting – as in the school for tomorrow and the sensitive cancer centre in Manchester; we also see character sensitivity in the renovation exercise at Jawahar Kala Kendra. If on one hand, we see a world of misery, cruelty, brazenness; on another, there surely exists compassion and humaneness. In creativity lies equanimity. We look forward to your feedback. Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Biomimetics in product design| Superyacht delight| Modern Spanish villa| and more

The adage ‘design knows no boundaries’ is increasingly being endorsed these days with multi disciplinary and cross disciplinary projects across the world. It is amazing to see how the intellect deciphers, computes and applies various tenets and principles to give fruition to an out-of-box idea that culminates in good design! Our stories this week move from a scenographer’s delight executed by Orproject in Beijing to the luxury and spatial sumptuousness of a Spanish villa to the aerodynamics of a superyacht and unconventional and progressive furniture designs that were shown during the Milan Design Week 2016 that concluded on Sunday, April 17, 2016. Do also read about young talent, Raghav Sethi - the chosen one by our ezine to participate with Designersblock at BASE building at premier venue via Tortona during the Fuorisalone, Milan 2016. There’s a lot to take home from our pages this week. Enjoy the issue! Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor

Out-of-box design concepts| Easy-to-implement design ideas | Diligence as key to good design| and more

‘Personalise’ is a very broad term. And its defining parameters change with time. This issue seems to explore this aspect of design – taking you from quirk to bizarre and chic to extravagant; each time resolute in its deliverance to the authorities that be. Different people seek different things at different times and it is this constantly altering paradigm that gives birth to newness in design. Ideas are big and designers, who dig their heels in – either to present out-of-box concepts or to realise these for their clients, command in a league apart; using diligence as the key to an accomplished aesthetic! So from Steven Rude’s bizarre houses to Ar. Manish Kumat’s carefully crafted simplicity, the journey enroute is all about recognising what works for you and going for it, head-on! Enjoy the issue! Warmly, Savitha Hira Editor