26/02/2024
A STORY OF RECLAIMING TEAK - Project “ALEXA” - A video showing the interior design.
This is a 1100 sq.ft 3 BHK flat in Ahmedabad. The owners live in Houston, and will use this as their home during visits to India. The aim of this project was to create a contemporary language for the reclaimed Valsad Teak without delving into traditionalism. Techniques like CNC were brought in occasionally to mimic the hand work of a traditional woodcarver.
Good quality, naturally-seasoned timber is a precious commodity in India. Decades ago, forests of Valsad would’ve offered plenty of lumbar. Now, there must be farmlands and apartment complexes where once forests stood. The wood turned into beautiful traditional Pol houses of Gujarat through expert hands. These houses must’ve raised generations of families and supported the local culture. Time changed and the trusty teak from Valsad found itself in a reclamation facility in the outskirts of Ahmedabad.
The carpets (woven in Varanasi), the MS floor lamps, the sofas, the PVD finished minimal coffee table and the forest themed wall art are all customised for the project.
Designer: Rohin Sher
Photograph: .gphotography