The Soul of Material: Designing with Stone, Wood & Metal
We don’t chase style; we chase atmosphere. Our approach centers on materials that breathe, age, and tell a story—where granite, salvaged teak, and brass become the foundation of your home.
A symphony in stone. This granite jaali, or screen, was designed for our Tiruppur house. The interplay of solid and void, light and shadow, creates a texture that is both modern and deeply connected to Indian craft traditions.
A detail from the Lakeshore house, showing the precise connection between rammed earth, steel, and wood. We believe details make architecture, and the quality of the build, the craft, and the material are the tools that turn a building into art.
A study in texture for a gallery and party space. The floor and walls are finished in a seamless gray concrete, creating a neutral, elemental backdrop that allows the atmosphere and the people within it to make the space.
A close-up of the brickwork for our Ishtika project in Dubai. The rough-faced, sand-toned brick has a handcrafted gravitas that defines the home's character.
Materials script the language of a space, and craft elevates it to poetry. This detail shot shows a custom-hammered brass mirror and a fluted wall, celebrating the hand of the craftsman.
A simple custom-designed bench in our Juhu project. The clean lines of the wood bench are set against a backdrop of wood paneling and a concrete floor, showcasing the beauty of natural materials.
The House of Secret Gardens is built entirely in Dhrangadhra stone, a material local to Gujarat used in ancient architecture. This video shows the fluted stone walls and a staircase, demonstrating how we look to history to build continuity.
A random rubble stone wall at Villa 16. This technique uses locally sourced stone to create a rugged, natural texture that anchors the home to its site and enhances the outdoor living experience.
The granite jaali for our Tiruppur house, seen here in a different light. The composition of stacked and interlocking stone batons creates a dynamic screen that breathes and filters light.
A detail from the House in a Grove, where a mature tree grows alongside a wall of random rubble stone. We design our architecture to be a partner to nature, not to dominate it.
About The Soul of Material: Stone, Wood & Metal
We believe architecture is a dialogue between the inhabitant and the material. When we specify stone, wood, or metal, we aren't looking for a uniform, catalog-perfect finish. We are looking for the 'imperfections'—the grain, the vein, the oxidation—that allow a space to breathe and age alongside you. Whether it is a hand-hammered brass detail or the raw texture of a rubble wall, we choose materials that feel warm, grounded, and undeniably real.
Architecture is often sanitized, hidden behind layers of veneer and paint. Our work does the opposite. We embrace the honesty of raw, natural materials because they have a memory and a longevity that synthetic alternatives simply cannot match.
The Language of Stone
We use stone not just as a finish, but as an architectural anchor. From the fluted Dhrangadhra stone in our 'House of Secret Gardens' to the random rubble walls at Villa 16, we select stones that respond to the local climate. These aren't just aesthetic choices; they are structural ones. They provide thermal mass, cooling the interior naturally in India’s harsh sun. We prefer a river-wash or honed finish over a high-gloss mirror polish, letting the stone’s true character emerge.
Wood & The Cycle of Salvage
We rarely buy new-growth timber. Salvaged teak is our primary tool for cabinetry, ceiling paneling, and flooring. It carries a history in its grain—a patina that new wood takes decades to acquire. We use it to create warmth, balancing the cool nature of concrete and stone. It is a material that feels good to touch, ensuring your home is tactile, not just visual.
Metal & The Hand of the Craftsman
We treat metalwork as sculpture. Whether it is a custom-cast brass lever handle or a Corten steel bridge, we work with local artisans to fabricate details that standard hardware can’t replicate. We allow brass to oxidize and change color over time, turning the aging process into part of the design narrative.
Why Material Honesty Matters
When you build with honest materials, your home requires less maintenance and gains more character as it ages. It is an approach that prioritizes longevity and soul over the temporary fix of trends. We invite you to consider how these materials might shape your own story.
Spasm Design
We are Spasm. We spend our days listening to the site and the materials, arranging nature and the man-made. Architecture to us is simply creating spaces that feel as honest as the stone and wood we build them with.
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