Geometric Story

PS Associates - Palna and Sachi Shah

When they were handed over an old house to refurbish, architect Palna Shah, 28, and interior designer Sachi Shah, 24, decided to pull down the entire bungalow and build it from scratch using energy-saving eco-friendly design. “We’ve used a lot of geometry in the house, from the staircase to the way the windows are created. The windows are at 30-60-90 angles to bring in vertical strips of sunlight into the house,” says Palna. Moving to the use of natural stones like kota and sandstone, the duo has used exposed brick walls in the living and dining areas to “lend a new look to the space at different times of the day”. The artifacts have been handpicked to suit the owners’ tastes but what stands out in this 5,500 square feet home is a 24 feet high circular staircase that rests without any vertical support. “It rests on its circular geometry and is anchored only on two points on the walls,” says Palna.

TREND CHECK “It’s all about going back to where we come from—natural stone and bamboo play a vital role in contemporary design. Natural stone keeps your house cool in the scorching Gujarat summers,” says Palna.

THE BEGINNING Armed with a degree in architecture from the Centre for Environment and Planning (CEPT), Palna joined hands with interior designer Sachi to collaborate on different projects. “Since our areas of expertise are different, there are no clashes,” she says. Over the past few years, they’ve designed houses, offices and restaurants in Ahmedabad. Details ps.collective.in