This coastal garden exemplifies xeriscaping in a tropical context. Towering palms interspersed around grass mounds, bold succulents and drought-tolerant natives create a vibrant, resilient landscape. Slabs of local granite are laid loosely on sand, weaving cement-free paths through the estate. Boulders found onsite are strategically littered as interstitial elements, tying the foliage and hardscape into a cohesive whole. The poolscape, with its intimate island and expansive deck, offers contemplative spaces to sit and savour dramatic marine vistas.

An informal stone path lined with Rhapis and Kentia palms leads to the home, framed by Frangipani. Lush foliage surrounds an al fresco dining area and cradles the pool, with Polypodium ferns and sculptural logs littered across this garden of earthly delights. The composition of gravel paths and grass mounds in the backyard is emulated in the courtyard, blurring boundaries between interior and exterior. Permeable surfaces and mindful native planting weave sustainability into the effortless, airy charm of tropical living.

Nestled in Kihim village, this restored beachfront estate offers an immersive multi-sensory experience of nature. Indigenous palms, fruit trees and native perennials attract migratory birds. Cement-free hardscaping, permeable surfaces and reused construction materials optimise water management, while site-specific planting and natural thatch roofs for poolside pavilions foster a cool, low-maintenance environment. The design invites a sustainable, carefree tropical lifestyle.

Set within the sprawling paddy fields of Awas village, this labyrinthine sanctuary is defined by quiet luxury and reverence for ecology. Orchards, sugarcane groves, and dense native planting foster cool microclimates and thriving biodiversity. A network of courtyards, arched passageways and a cave-like pool dissolve into the foliage, creating a landscape of hidden moments, slow rhythms and ever-shifting emotional resonance.

The passage to the site traces an old ecological corridor. Mindful planting along the transect allows native fauna to graze freely, untouched by human rhythm. This sloping garden sanctuary is shaped by natural contours, permeable surfaces and a dense courtyard planting that creates a cool microclimate. Whilst a gravel driveway and reused construction waste reinforce circular practice, a coalition of winding paths, wild grasses and native thickets nurture biodiversity and moments of discovery. The gardens operate as a living, breathing archive of transience and messy ecology.

The landscape is imagined as a thread binding two robust concrete forms. Landscaping is approached as storytelling, leading occupants through a fluid sequence of spatial experiences: from the intimacy of confinement into the vastness of liberation; through meditative interludes, and finally into the quiet equilibrium that

Architecture and ecology interlock seamlessly at this inward facing sanctuary. The poolscape is punctured by Frangipani islands that operate as micro-habitats. Leftover basalt onsite has been re-used to create a rugged pit that preserves a grove of Thespesia trees. A venerable Banyan is framed by the root-friendly, cement-free courtyard, fostering deep connections with the landscape. Luxury is equated to sustainability and conscious living.

Trees emerge from pockets within the home, shading terraces, forming an intimate bind with the foliage; each tree is like generational wealth. The poolscape is punctured with an island micro-habitat. The softscape is like a biryani, with rich layers from groundcover to canopy. At moments, it emulates the sheer riot of a bhel puri. It's a strategic play of scale, scent, and sciagraphy, thinking about the seasons that pass us by.

Villa Vanilla gazes upon the Alibaug shore, at quaint fishing hutments and molten sunsets. It unfolds as a linear sequence of pavilions woven between mature coconut palms, gardens, and gleaming water bodies. Courtyards and verandahs blur the boundaries between interior and exterior, creating a resort-like experience. Thoughtful ecological interventions and a lush tropical palette define a sustainable, site-responsive interpretation of contemporary coastal living.

Glass, first discovered in Mesopotamia some 4,000 years ago, inspires the ‘Meso’ bench—a nine-foot long transparent glass brick slab set on brass legs. Through its name and materiality, the piece pays tribute to our rich history of glassmaking practices. Whilst glass is rarely used as a seating surface, this seemingly delicate yet remarkably robust piece subverts that expectation. The bench comes alive outdoors, where sunlight filters through its speckled surface to create a mesmerizing play of light.

The Rock Bench and Console respond to humanity’s greatest tragedy—our failure to accept nature as it is. There’s a perpetual need to mould nature to suit twisted ideals of perfection, be it by tampering with landscapes, genetically modifying food, or efforts to change skin tones. Our misguided meddling has brought forth adverse consequences, including capitalogenic climate change.

As granite boulders with super-polished top surfaces, the Rock Bench and Console seek to exemplify how mindful human intervention can co-exist effectively with nature. Through this juxtaposition of texture, the works invoke larger ideas on socio-ecological symbiosis, and humans being in sync with the landscapes they inhabit.

Waste boulders that emerge from the excavation on construction sites have been upcycled into plates. These small ‘rock plates,’ with their rough exterior and super-polished inner surfaces, exemplify how human intervention can co-exist with nature. Through the juxtaposition of texture, the plates invoke larger ideas on socio-ecological symbiosis, and humans being in sync with nature.

The ‘rock plate’ contributes to the creation of a tablescape that aligns with circular design thinking and ideas of conscious dining.

This is a gathering of contrasts—a soirée of rawness and refinement. Gleaming Pyrite from Rohtas in the East, crafted by Kannadiga artisans in the South. Robust locally sourced granite sculpted into polished corrugated vessels. Vases abloom not with orchids and anthuriums flown in from afar, but betel nut, black pepper and pandanus leaves straight out of an Alibaug garden. An indigenous tablescape, rooted in place.

Waste boulders that emerge from the excavation on construction sites have been upcycled into playful side table accents, which can also serve as pit-stops for birds, and as interstitial landscape elements. These small ‘scoop boulders,’ with their rough exterior and super-polished inner surfaces exemplify how human intervention can co-exist with nature. Through the juxtaposition of texture, the boulders invoke larger ideas on socio-ecological symbiosis, and humans being in sync with nature.

The ‘Shanti Bench’ is a monolithic form inspired by Lord Shiva in meditation, its trishul-like silhouette inviting stillness and introspection.

The first bench, cast in concrete with a white terrazzo finish, embodies ‘shanti’ through its pristine white colour. Subsequent versions explore deeper dialogues between materiality and metaphysics: a Panchadhatu piece—an alloy of copper, gold, silver, zinc, and iron symbolising the five cosmic elements—follows the Shilpa-shastras in harmonising mind and body. A third rendition of the bench, carved from solid black Indian marble, evokes coolness, clarity, and spiritual grounding.

Rooted in subcontinental narratives and crafted with local artisans, these are wholly ‘Made in India’ works. Ultimately, the ‘Shanti Bench’ pays homage to India’s ancient science of elevating consciousness through design.