Material Craft in Progress
For us, the construction site is a laboratory. We believe the best design decisions happen when you actually touch the materials. Here is a look at how we prototype patterns and textures on-site before they become a permanent part of your home or office.
We treat material installation as an art form. Here, we are exploring a pixelated pattern with brickwork on-site to create a unique and dynamic feature wall.
A view down a corridor during construction, showcasing the texture of the vertically laid brick walls. We often leave structural materials exposed to celebrate their raw, honest character.
The corner detail of a curved brick wall in progress. This shows our exploration of how a simple material like brick can be used to create complex, flowing architectural forms.
Our drawing board showing different brick pattern trials for an office tower facade. We deliberate extensively on these details, as they define the building's character and texture.
On-site selection of brick samples. We carefully consider the exact color and texture, laying them out to see how they interact with the light and surrounding environment before making a final choice.
A curved wall partition featuring woven rattan panels is taking shape. This work-in-progress shot highlights our use of natural, sustainable materials to add warmth and texture to an interior space.
An artisan at work on a project site featuring wood and rattan panels. We collaborate closely with skilled craftspeople to ensure our designs are executed with precision and care.
About this collection
You won't see pristine, staged photos here. This is the messy, vital part of our process where we lay out real brick samples and terrazzo biscuits on the floor to judge how they react to actual light. It is a necessary friction, often taking hours of trial and error, to ensure the geometry works not just on paper, but under your feet.
Architecture is rarely as clean as a 3D render suggests. The reality involves a significant amount of dust, patience, and direct dialogue with the people building your space. Whether we are testing the pixelated arrangement of bricks for a facade or finalizing the spacing of terrazzo tiles with Bharat Floorings, we treat the construction site as an extension of our design studio.
Why We Prototype
When we deal with raw materials like brick, wood, or concrete, their character changes based on the surrounding light and the shadow patterns of the day. A drawing cannot capture the tactility of a rattan panel or the way a specific brick red looks against the afternoon sun. By creating full-scale mockups, we identify potential issues early and allow the material to guide the final execution.
Our Process
- Material Dialogue: We spend time with artisans to understand what is possible. If a curved wall partition using rattan panels is planned, we test the flexibility and structural integrity on-site before committing.
- Geometry & Pattern: Whether it is a brick facade or a complex flooring layout, we often use unconventional methods, like arranging business cards to visualize tile patterns, to test the visual impact before the final install.
- Iterative Refinement: We are not afraid to change a detail if the site tells us it does not work. This is why we are present from the first sketch to the final nail. It ensures that the result is not just built, but crafted with intention.
Studio HKAD
We are Studio HKAD, and we view architecture as a journey that extends far beyond a digital render. We prefer getting our hands dirty on-site, testing light and texture until the space feels exactly right.
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