search
  • Modern Circular Design Explained | Elev8 2025 | Anurag Bhandari

    In this exclusive session, Anurag Bhandari, principal designer of Ek Kalakaar Design Studio, sheds light on the importance of a sustainable and circular design approach in today’s scenario. He opens with a candid observation on the general apathy toward sustainable practices in design. Emphasizing on mindful usage of resources to showcase the art of making the best from the waste, he shows how sustainable designs can also be “cool & trendy.” From pointing out the landfill problems to explaining how Ek Kalakaar tackles waste, this session is a must-watch for sustainable design enthusiasts.

    Key Insights

    1. Why Circular Design Is Urgent

    The current rate of overconsumption and resource exploitation far exceeds the Earth’s capacity to regenerate. If every Indian consumed resources like an average American, humanity would need nine more Earths to sustain that level of consumption. Circular design emerges as a necessary alternative to the prevailing linear production-consumption-disposal model.

    2. What Circular Design Entails

    Designers practice circular design by embedding sustainability across a product’s entire lifecycle: they source materials responsibly, manufacture with minimal waste, enable reuse, repair, and remanufacturing, and ensure the product can be dismantled and absorbed back into a material ecosystem.

    Circular design
    Product by: Ek Kalakaar

    3. From Product to System Mindset

    Designers must shift from a product mindset to a system mindset by considering the environmental implications of material sourcing, use, and disposal right from the outset.

    4. Personal Journey as a Catalyst

    Anurag narrates a personal trajectory, from salvaging food in the U.S. to working in steel industries in India, revealing firsthand experiences of industrial waste and pollution. Constraints like financial hardship led to experimentation with found and discarded materials, sparking a practice built entirely around waste-led design.

    5. Ek Kalaka Designs: Practice-Based Examples

    Anurag runs Ek Kalaka Designs, a studio focused on using industrial and post-consumer waste, such as tyres, slag, FRP sheets, plywood scraps, and electronic waste, to create aesthetically compelling and functional furniture and interior spaces.

    Product by: Ek Kalakaar

    6. Call for Designer Responsibility

    Architects and designers are encouraged to take a stand, not just by designing sustainably, but by influencing clients’ choices. The speaker emphasizes that good design today must consider repairability, recyclability, and the environmental footprint of materials.

    Conclusion

    Circular design is not a new concept. India has long practiced versions of it in domestic life, such as repurposing old clothes. What’s needed is a collective and conscious scaling up of these instincts into systemic, creative, and professional practices. Designers must collaborate, innovate, and push back against unsustainable norms. Circularity isn’t a trend; it’s a necessity. Further, only by embedding it into our design ethos can we begin to restore balance to a planet strained to its limits.


    This 4000 sq ft House Design Unfolds Calm Lifestyle | Avani Mudra Design

    “Viraam,” a 4000 sq ft house design that embodies its literal translation: “a pause.” The vision is to create a sanctuary for relaxation, introspection, and to escape from the constant demands of daily life – an urban void for personal retreat. This 4000 sq ft House Design Unfolds Calm Lifestyle | Avani Mudra Design Reimagining […]

    Read More

    This Indian Contemporary House Design is a Tranquil Retreat | DESIGNEX

    The facade of this Indian contemporary house design strikes a careful balance between solids and voids, with sculpted forms that reveal the inner workings of the space. The design plays with light and shadow, creating visual depth and intrigue from the exterior. The form resembles a cuboid that has been scooped out, while the outer […]

    Read More

    This 5 Storey Building Takes Inspiration From Haveli | SJK Architects 

    This 5 storey building takes inspiration from ancient haveli architecture. “Hailing from north India, the family held deep nostalgia for haveli, large residences with communal courtyards called chowks, projecting balconies called jharokhas and intricate brick or stone lattice screens called jaalis, vernacular to many western and northern regions of India,” said SJK Architects partner Vaishali […]

    Read More

    This Residence Embraces Tradition with Stone Clad Walls | Gaurav Deore Architects

    Set in the serene landscape of Nashik, the Dabholkar Residence by GDA is a home, embracing stone clad walls. Here, tradition and contemporary design exist in harmony. Designed to reflect the family’s deep connection to tradition and art while embracing the style of contemporary living, it is a space where architectural details, heritage furniture, artwork […]

    Read More

    This Load-Bearing House Embeds Original Integrity with Contemporary Design | Studio Kosha

    This remodelling project aimed to revitalise a load-bearing house while respecting its original integrity and adapting it to contemporary needs. The design approach prioritised minimal structural intervention, allowing the existing framework to guide spatial reconfiguration. Careful consideration was given to preserving the load-bearing walls, which formed the backbone of the original construction. Openings were strategically […]

    Read More

    This Modern Approach Redefines Indian Temple Architecture | Karan Darda Architects

    Redefining Indian temple architecture, the relocation of the existing shrine due to a new residential project presented an opportunity to design a space that seamlessly integrates tradition with contemporary needs. The given 400 sq. ft. site was envisioned not merely as a shrine to Lord Datta, a local deity, but as a vibrant community space, […]

    Read More

    This Compact House Design is Rooted in Tradition | Design Matters

    Nestled within a 30×40 ft plot is the compact house design in Banashankari 6th Stage, Bengaluru. This residence for the Ellappans, reimagines traditional Indian living in a contemporary, spatially dynamic form. Designed for a family of three- Mr. Ellappan, his wife, and their teenage son- the house expresses a deep connection to vernacular roots while […]

    Read More

    This Multi Generational Home Blends Aesthetics & Functionality | Design Consortium

    This multi generational home is a testament to the ability of the design practice to blend aesthetic appeal with practical functionality. Keeping environmental sustainability and the welfare of the community at the forefront, Bhowal designed a home that was truly ahead of its time. His visionary approach and the Design Consortium’s expertise in providing a […]

    Read More

    Farmhouse Designs in India: 15 Inspiring Styles To Know

    The Indian farmhouse accommodation goes on to capitalize on a mature evolutionary synthesis of ancestral aesthetics and contemporary features. With this, the outside and the inside of farmhouses became places of comfort with nature. In this blog, we delve into 15 incredible farmhouse designs that entail a harmonious blending. While they exhibit different spaces in […]

    Read More

    50 Best Pillar Design Ideas And Inspirations For Indian Spaces

    Pillar design is a cornerstone of architectural elegance, seamlessly blending structural support with aesthetic appeal. Our blog, “50 Best Pillar Design Inspirations,” celebrates this essential element, showcasing a variety of styles from classical Doric and Ionic to contemporary and avant-garde innovations. Whether you’re an architect, interior designer, or a design enthusiast, these pillar design inspirations […]

    Read More
  • 5 Things to Know Before Buying a House for Sale in Turkey

    This Contemporary Home Style Blends Timelessness with Adaptability | Studio A+D