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The built form and the written word, both have a lot in common. Some relations are more literal – the basic building blocks, the structure, certain distinctive elements. But, both go well beyond the physical and the literal -  The ultimate purpose behind designing buildings and writing prose is to invoke feelings, to lead one through space and time, to tell stories.

While our buildings tell the specific stories of our client’s, it is through our words that are able to share our stories with you. It is through our words that we are able to visualize and create narratives that drive the process. It is these words that fuel the excitement in anything and everything that we do – whether it be about the artisans and craftsmen who work with us, simple construction processes or just the spaces that we experience.

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Here is a glimpse of some of these stories.

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If you'd like to read more, you can find all of our stories on our Blogspot.

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Writer's pictureSandarbh Architects
Dec 15, 20182 min read

Transformations!

I have always looked at the word "demolition" as a negative term. The image that pops up in my mind when I see 'demolition' as an activity in a task list - is a lot of debris, the process when a building is stripped of its original structure, memories pulled down by tractors and hammers.


But closely watching the way my home has been modifying itself the last few days through the same process of demolition - has been incredibly eye-opening. As each wall and other additions were removed - the space opens up - to an extent where the whole dynamics of it changes. Suddenly, it's not just about the wall that once existed there, the focus comes to everything around it - the connections it forms, the changes in the scale, and the change in perception of space when the debris is taken away and suddenly, a new view that was once blocked by the wall being there is unveiled in front of you. 


So last week, when I went to Thalassery, after about 2 weeks of demolition and transformation of my home - I knew what exactly were the changes that were made in the house and had been constantly getting images as the changes were being made. 




But as I physically walked into the house, it looked unrecognizable. 




There was light streaming through the area where a Madras terrace roofing existed earlier. The once small and dingy space,  now looked large and spacious - the door in the first floor that I could see through this gap looked massive, so did the roof trusses - which were a floor above me. With this light streaming in, all the spaces around - untouched, now changed just with the presence of light there.




Even more imposing - were the openings made towards the exterior. As new connections were made towards the green exteriors - the same old features looked different against the background of the plants and trees.  As we made a passage connecting two parts of the house, two different kinds of exterior spaces got connected - the transition between them making a very interesting passageway. Green spaces that were never visible earlier, brought in new views and new experiences with them. 


Today, when I think about it, demolition has become one of the most interesting processes of the transformation - how removal, rather than addition changes the entire energy of the space.

 

Can't wait to see how this process of transformation changes the house!



-Ananya

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