Raw Elegance

Searching for a contemporary expression with a soul deeply embedded in natural sensibilities, architects Divya Ethirajan and Pramod Jaiswal, principals of BetweenSpaces, design a dynamic Bangalore residence, which also harbours the firm’s workspace.

- Sanjukta nandy

Is it easy for architects to find a satisfactory solution when the client is none other than they, themselves? Divya Ethirajan and Pramod Jaiswal were faced with this question when they decided to build a home for Divya and her family in Bangalore, which would also house the workspace for Between Spaces, their young practice. The need of the hour was a design that could successfully integrate both a private residence and an architectural studio, which could mutually thrive in the same space, yet bear its own identity. Moreover, the layout had to be dynamic and open ended to facilitate easy conversion into a complete residential space in the future when the firm would outgrow the premises.

After over five years of practising with reputed firms, Divya and Pramod set up Between Spaces in 2010 with the agenda of practising architecture that is respectable, responsible and makes living comfortable and gratifying. Taking inspiration from the illustrious architects Peter Zumthor and Louis Kahn, the duo believes in the hard-core beauty of design. Both follow a hands-on approach to conceptualizing and planning each project they take up. They like to handle varied scales and typologies, and their design process has always been very intuitive, exploratory and flexible in stylistic approach.