Daftaar | Studio Aatman

A former home adapted into a workspace, retaining its intimacy while preserving the essence of its domestic origins.

Daftaar of Studio Aatman emerges from a search for a workspace that could slow down time—an antidote to the pace of high-rise offices the studio had previously occupied. Tucked within the quiet, tree-lined lanes of Senapati Bapat Road, Pune, the site revealed itself unexpectedly: a modest, dilapidated 1BHK within a bungalow plot of approximately 1,500 sq.ft, surrounded by a generous landscape of nearly 1,300 sq.ft. Dense vegetation—mango, jackfruit, coconut, and a mature champa tree—formed a setting that felt both central and removed from the city’s intensity.

What stood out was not the condition of the structure, but its latent potential. The intervention focused on a compact 450 sq.ft footprint, an existing one-bedroom home shaped by the irregular geometry of the triangular plot. Within this constraint, the studio found an opportunity to craft a workspace rooted in familiarity, openness, and a strong connection to the outdoors.

The design began with selective demolition. Existing walls were carefully removed and reconfigured to align with the new program. The former kitchen was reimagined as a transitional waiting space—a pause before entering the main workstation and conference area. This central workspace was conceived as a continuous volume, visually linking the front yard, verandah, and backyard, dissolving boundaries between inside and outside.

Given the compact scale, the material palette was approached with restraint to ensure cohesion. Lime-washed walls lend a soft, diffused texture, while microcrete flooring with subtle tonal variations creates continuity. Light-toned wood enhances the perception of openness, with partitions, doors, and storage seamlessly integrated into panelling to maintain a clean, uninterrupted passage. In contrast, the outdoors is articulated through a more expressive palette—terracotta-toned seating and oxide grouting within reclaimed Shahabad stone flooring—adding warmth and tactility to the landscape.

Material decisions were guided by what the site offered. Debris from demolition was repurposed to create stepped seating in the front yard, while reclaimed stone was reassembled into a random flooring pattern. A defining spatial moment is the framing of the existing champa tree, establishing a visual axis from the entrance through a sequence of openings.

Rather than imposing a new identity, Daftaar evolves from what existed—retaining the essence of a home while adapting it into a workspace that feels both grounded and redefined.

Principal Architects – Ar. Prathamesh Kubal and Ar. Tanvi Dubbewar
Team – Ar. Aditi Yemul and Ar. Vaidehi Lohar
Photo Credits – Ar. Pranit Bora