Situated within a 60-year-old ancestral bungalow, this project reimagines a lived-in past through thoughtful adaptation and deep respect for what already exists. Emerging quietly during the stillness of Lockdown 2.0, a time that invited reflection and inward focus, the transformation unfolded with simplicity at its core.
Project Name: Z-Design Studio
Studio Name: Z-Design Studio
Project location: Solapur, India
Completion Year: 2021
Gross Built Area: 1430 sqft.
Site area: 3000 sqft.
Photo credits: Pranit Bora
Two modest rooms were reshaped into a private cabin and a shared workspace, forming a studio space rooted in necessity and presence. The rest of the bungalow, still a family residence, was redesigned in the same spirit guided by a shared material language, construction sensibility, and deep emotional connection to the place.
The design approach was grounded in intention: nothing was added unless absolutely essential. Reclaimed bricks from a collapsed compound wall were repurposed into partitions, left with a raw cement finish that preserved the story of their reuse. The flooring, made with river sand found
on-site, was laid using traditional ghotai techniques, honouring age-old construction wisdom.
Furniture throughout indoors and out was designed and built on-site using ferrocrete and salvaged wood, much of it repurposed from the bungalow’s own aging windows and doors. These pieces are not merely functional; they hold memory, weight, and quiet presence. A lime-plastered feature wall stands in tribute to the home’s ancestors, its textured surface a blend of craft, reverence, and time.
The bungalow’s long setback area was developed into an inviting outdoor hangout space planted with native greens and anchored by built-in ferrocrete furniture. This transition between inside and outside reinforces the project’s tactile, grounded ethos.
Across the entire home-studio, the ethos of 3R + Z: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Zero Wastage guided every decision. This adaptive reuse project intends to build something honest and grounded. This is a space that listens to its materials, its memories, and its moment in time. A place where the past is not erased but carried forward with care.
