Slit is an experimental performance based architectural drawing methodology that investigates the relationship between body and space. The emphasis is neither on the body, nor the space, but on conditions of observation-illuminating abstract layers between body and space.

The project is structured around a series of performative objects that re-articulate the standardised perpendicular relationship between the body and the ground. The performative objects create moments of deviation through a set of precisely designed slits – single slit, double slit, vertical slit, horizontal slit, etc.

The objects are made out of 1.6mm felt fabric that is hand cut to form the slits on an otherwise flat surface. Performances are devised using the objects to re-articulate various spatial aspects- such as right angles, C-form, obliqueness, horizontality, etc.

This intersection of designed objects and devised performances re-draws a minimal yet complex relationship between the body and the space.

Collaborators: Krupa Devi, Manou

Colour and geometric accents set against the textured grey walls and floors forms the spatial rhythm for this small workspace. 

We were approached with a brief to create an office by merging two adjacent apartments in a mixed-use building located on a busy commercial road. To begin the renovation, we demolished the boundary wall combining the two apartments into one larger open space.

We use rhythm as a primary design tool. Rhythm as a mechanism to design with refers to repetition and movement, creating a pace of flow in the composition of space. There is a certain rhythm to work, there is a certain rhythm to meet, there is a certain rhythm to eat. All this was taken into consideration in the articulation of spaces and the objects within.

The Jardin De Villars experience is one rooted in nature and surrounded by vegetation. The aim is to create a unique lifestyle experience within this stunning landscape, where leisure and engagement are in balance; where golfers and non-golfers have the opportunity to enjoy the carefully devised layers of ‘experience gardens’.

The proposal formulates a strategy where architecture is quite simply a framework for amplifying the strengths of the site. This is made possible by creating a ‘movement path’ along the contours of the site. The ‘movement path’ traverses through the garden grid and hence is always at the intersection of the low lying architectural volumes and the ‘experience gardens’. The ‘movement path’ becomes the primary tool to design a range of experiences from scaled up golf lawns to intimate courtyard gardens.

Co author: Tamim Negm

Together we build a better place. The design of the structure uses the primal form of the triangle as an archetype. The triangle is the first closed figure to emerge, and the root of all manifested nature. We see the triangle appear from a subatomic to a cosmic scale. A structure that is engineered and human at the same time.

Drawing inspiration from the Vedic notion of Trikona, which in yogic practices gives rise to Trikonasana, creating a strong base and enhancing balance within the body. As we consider how to represent the essence of an India of the future, our structure brings together different aspects into one wholistic form, a nation that holds strength and unity within its essence.

In-bodied objects are a series of conceptual design objects exploring the relationship between body and space, individual and the community. Through these objects, we aim to document the impact that conditions of production, everyday politics of labor, gender participation and their social infrastructure, has on their craft and material production.

We worked closely with a microcosm of independent weavers producing Jamakkalam, a very particular kind of blankets and carpets originating from a village close to Bhavani in Erode district, Tamil Nadu. The specificity of Bhavani Jamakkalam has gained recognition as Geographical Indication by the Government of India in 2005-2006.

With In-bodied objects,we consider weave as an abstract lens with which to look at space, a kind of mosaic of culture, history, and space. Each region in the country has a common
memory through its specificity of place, culture, and techniques. Operating at this intersection as designers, we believe is conscious living.

Malai Veedu is a residential project located in the Southern state of Tamil Nadu, at the base of the Annamalai hill, a world renowned spiritual pilgrimage site.

Malai Veedu is home to parents and their two children, who are both in their twenties. The mother is committed to a spiritual practice of prayer, while the father enjoys the surrounding nature, and paints beautiful watercolours. These factors informed TAS’s design, which responds to three fundamental objectives. Firstly, it was important to ensure accessible, efficient, and clear circulation routes. Secondly, the design seeks to promote interaction between the parents and children, while respecting their privacy. Finally, it was important to include spaces that could facilitate the maximum views to the mountain.

The ground floor of the house contains shared spaces, including the kitchen, the dining room, the living and the Pooja room. The master and guest bedrooms are also included on the ground level. French doors can be opened to allow the living area to extend on to the verandah — immersing occupants in the natural landscape that surrounds them. Located on the upper level, the third and fourth bedroom and gymnasium— can be accessed by an independent staircase that traverses the entire façade of the building.

The location of the site was essential for the formal proposal of the house. Being next to the hill, the property had two very different conditions; it has a rugged topography but also lays on practically flat land. Thinking about the stability of the land, the ease of construction and the intention to bring an openness in the living spaces, while bearing in mind the Vaastu needs of the clients. 

The nucleus or the public space of the house can be opened completely using sliding doors and this not only integrates the exterior into the house, but also will end up functioning as a large verandah, allowing its inhabitants to be immersed within the natural and social landscape that surrounds them. From this, the main volume with the staircase façade emerged. 

A space between the finite and the infinite. Ākāśa is the most subtle of the Vedic elements, it is the sound of movement in and out of the physical body. Frictionless and smooth, present in the hollow cavities, a space that has the ability to transmit sound.

Kāś – to be

The PAWA festival marks twenty months since the WHO declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a global pandemic.

It is our primal instinct as human beings, to gather. Across most of our planet, over the last year, the very act of gathering has been prohibited in the hope of preventing the spread. As a result we found new spatial realities, albeit virtual, new forms of gathering. Ākāśa presents a gathering space in its simplest form, an embodied space of reflection, a space for coming together through collective sound and spirit, one that goes beyond the two dimensional. 

The design of the structure forms an instrument in itself, it holds a performative quality through its vibrating strings around the periphery. The structure can be played from the inside or the outside, blurring the boundaries between audience and performer. 

Hold your middle finger and thumb together.

Working with modular units and joints, the design transforms linear tubes into a three-dimensional field of images and movement paths.

The lightweight metal profile traces the spatial rhythm of the museum promenade constructing an interplay between the voids and the images, expanding on the notion of ‘negative space’ and forming a continuous loop.

The innate strength of the material is coupled with the desire to have minimal impact as possible. Using principle of circular design, the installation is designed so that it can be dismantled and easily reassembled in other locations to avoid waste.

In 1855, the first photography department in South East Asia was established at the Government School of Industrial Arts, what is now known as the Government College of Fine Arts, Chennai. This history and its pioneering role in formulating the Indo-Saracenic Architecture movement became the starting point of our design script.

How can the design of the space initiate a social dialogue that will make this historical institution more relatable? How can we speculate a uniform spatial rhythm whilst maintaining the distinct individual worlds of the artists represented?

In contrast to the existing monolithic structure, the installation acts as a device for the audience to experience art works in their entirety, as well as maintaining a sense of fluidity while moving through the space. The visual ambiguity and spatial continuity evoke a feeling of walking through a city of arches; an intimate journey punctuated by moments of pause.

Commissioned by: Chennai Photo Biennale Foundation

As a festival of contemporary music and arts, we find the audience that traverses the dusty tracks of magnetic fields to be an incredibly unique microcosm of India’s creative and artistic community. This temporary community embraces the mission of collaboration through body, space and intention.

Drawing inspiration from the traditional Indian Charpai, the installation explores bed as a social space that enables sharing, socialising, playing and resting. The structure consists of a series of 8’ x 8’ steel cubes which pivot and intersect, creating a modular cluster. The beds are woven using a custom made thread designed to withstand added weight while also providing the comfort of a hammock.

The changing landscape of Seven Voids provides a fluid stage for its participants, and its performative quality lies in its ability to transform from a seating structure to a trampoline to a dance floor. By day, the installation provides respite, by night the structure provides a place to play.

Commissioned by: Magnetic Fields Festival of Contemporary Music & Arts

One of India’s leading stretch ceiling brands Eurocéil, approached us to design two experimental installations to showcase their products in an innovative form. Stretch ceiling materials are primarily used for either ceiling or wall applications. Our installation is conceived to form a dialogue between these disparate perpendicular planes forming a continuous immersive environment of light.

To create this, a series of proprietary europrofiles are bent and arranged along the length of the pavilion and the thin translucent membrane is stretched with a hot air blower and locked between the aluminium profiles. The structure measures 7m long and 3m wide, clad in an opaque lacquer membrane on the exterior. The interior is an immersive brightly lit environment that spans between the ceiling and the walls.

The “Theatre of Light” was exhibited at Light Middle East Exhibition (Dubai) and ACETECH Exhibition (New Delhi) where we won the Grand Jury Award for best Stall Design.

Commissioned by: Eurocéil
Collaborator: Uncut

Project

Year

Type

Duration

Place

SlitYear: 2018Type: Performance DesignDuration: ShortPlace: Pondicherry, India
Cobalt RhythmsYear: 2020Type: Interior DesignDuration: LongPlace: Chennai, India
Movement GardenYear: 2020Type: ArchitectureDuration: LongPlace: France
Hand in handYear: 2021Type: InstallationDuration: LongPlace: New Delhi, India
In-bodied ObjectsYear: 2021Type: Product DesignDuration: MediumPlace: Chennai, India
CampusYear: 2021Type: ArchitectureDuration: LongPlace: Chennai, India
Malai VeeduYear: 2020Type: ArchitectureDuration: LongPlace: Tiruvannamalai, India
ĀkāśaYear: N/AType: Installation Duration: N/APlace: N/A
Forest of ImagesYear: 2022Type: Exhibition DesignDuration: MediumPlace: Chennai
Performing IntersectionsYear: 2019Type: Exhibition DesignDuration: MediumPlace: Chennai, India
Seven VoidsYear: 2019Type: InstallationDuration: ShortPlace: Alsisar, India
Bubble Island TableYear: 2022Type: Product DesignDuration: LongPlace: N/A
Theatre of LightYear: 2018Type: InstallationDuration: ShortPlace: Dubai, UAE
Celestial NestYear: 2022Type: InstallationDuration: ShortPlace: London, UK