There are homes, there are large homes; and then there is Azaan! 17,600 sq.m. of built space – mind-numbing or what?! One has to blink twice and re-read the number to make sure your eyes got it right. And yet the architectural creation has a gentle grace imbued in soulfulness. Azaan is a home in Khajrana, Indore, designed for a large, joint Muslim family. The project also includes an office space and recreational areas.

Abhishek Chhabra is a fire safety expert with nearly 20 years of experience in conformity assessment. With good knowledge of international compliance standards, including those set by North America, Europe, Britain, ISO, IMO, and Indian authorities, Abhishek currently represents two leading industry associations - the Firestop Contractors International Association (FCIA) and the National Fireproofing Contractors Association (NFCA). In this role, he spearheads efforts to raise awareness and understanding of passive fire protection practices. Through his initiative, tic.guru, he offers educational courses related to the Testing, Inspection, and Certification (TIC) industry. In the first article of this knowledge series on Passive Fire Protection, he shares valuable inputs with the readers of INSITE.

Experienced lighting design professional with over 22 years in design and project management across architecture, interiors, real estate, and lighting development - Ar. Ashish Bahal is a partner at Lucent Worldwide, one of Asia’s largest lighting design firms. Actively involved in technical advisory committees for IGBC, GRIHA, ECBC, Bahal is an expert in technical and design-based lighting applications. Here, he shares brilliant inputs on successful lighting design; illustrating his expertise through a project handled by Lucent Worldwide – the Kohler Experience Centre at Bangalore.

SJK Architects in Mumbai founded by Ar. Shimul Javeri Kadri in 1990, is a well-known name in Indian architecture and design. The principal architect now leads the firm alongside Vaishali Mangalvedhekar, Sarika Shetty and Roshni Kshirsagar. The SJK ideology of creating relevant architecture while incorporating elements of historical wisdom has led to an array of interesting and diverse project portfolio. Here we focus on two of the firm’s landmark projects: Hotel in Bodh Gaya, and Hospital in rural Maharashtra.

“I believe that architects shouldn’t confine themselves to any particular ‘style’ of building as this hinders their creativity. Architecture should be contextual, innovative and harmonize with the local idioms. It should respond to the environment, be user-friendly and be reflective of the client’s personality.”