PROFILE

4.4 Design established in 1993 is a synergy of design professionals driven by a desire to practice responsible design. The principals, Hitesh Shah & Percy Kutar both have over 20 years of practice behind them.

We believe in the strength of design as a means of impacting the people who engage with it. When considering our works and what is of value to us in design, the creation of atmosphere, and a landscape for people, is at the core of everything that we do. The means of doing so, informs the design differently as each design brief comes with its own methods of adjustment.

We approach design, primarily through structure, geometry, and ultimately light, and constantly struggle to find ways to combine them, to forge a relationship between built & un-built space/ inside & outside. Our design sensibilities do not allow for making statements of our built work, we could be as easily influenced by history as we are by our fantasy. We have great respect for the art & ability of craftsmen, as we believe that they are, the (very often) missing cultural link that contextualizes what is built by anyone, anywhere.

Our desire to be responsible does not come from being fashionable but is deeply ingrained into our psyche & work ethos even if at times it puts us at loggerheads with our patrons.

And last but not the least, it would be insulting to claim all that we do, as just our work, - we pride ourselves in being a part of a small & motivated team of professionals who keep ourselves young at mind by refusing to take ourselves too seriously.

LECTURES / FORUMS

• Jan 2000: Invited by Young Architects Forum and U.D.R.I. (Urban Design Research Institute) to talk about the firm’s work.
• Invited by the Indian Architect and Builder to present ideas on the future of the Kala Ghoda Precinct.
• Invited by CEPT College of Architecture, Ahemdabad to present works.
• Visiting faculty at Sir J.J. College of Architecture, Mumbai.
• Member of the Jury for Regional Architecture Awards instituted by Inside Outside magazine.
• Member of the jury for Inside Outside Magazine award for Designer of the year in 2008.

AWARDS

• Year 2008:  World architecture Festival, Barcelona, Spain
  Short listed as best 16 in the New & Old category for PAE Limited- Tardeo, Mumbai.

• Year 2008: Indian Institute of Interior Design Awards. (National)
  1st place: Corporate Interiors category for PAE Limited- Tardeo, Mumbai.

• Year 2008: Indian Institute of Interior Design Awards. (Regional)
  1st place: Corporate Interiors category for PAE Limited- Tardeo, Mumbai.

• Year 2002: Indian Institute of Interior Design Awards.
  1st place: Residential Interiors category for Nanda Residence- Bandra, Mumbai.

• Year 2000: Anchor I.I.A. Awards.
  1st place: Interior Category for “ Sheetal Design Studio “-Mahalaxmi, Mumbai

• Year 2000: Indian Architect and Builder Award for the Young Architects.
  - 1st place: Architectural Category for the “Rajhans Balvatika Primary School Building “,    
    Andheri, Mumbai.
  - 2nd place: Interior Category for the Office of “southern Couriers “, Nariman Point,
    Mumbai.

PUBLICATIONS

• Indian Architect and Builder – February 2000
• House Layouts – March 2000
• Bombay Times – 3rd July 2000
• Afternoon Despatch & Courier – 13th July 2000
• Indian Express – 14th July 2000
• Property Times – 14th July 2000
• Design Digest – November 2000
• Perfect Ten – Jan- Feb 2001
• Indian Architect And Builder – May 2002
• Indian Architect And Builder – June 2002
• Inside Outside – July 2002
• Inside Outside –July 2004
• Indian Design (DAAB), Germany : December 2004
• Works featured in Channel News Asia, Singapore: January 2006
• Inside Outside – June 2008
• Good Homes – July 2008
• Home Trends – Vol. 1/ 5, 2010.
• Home Trends – Vol. 2/ 8, 2012.
• Home Trends – Vol. 2/ 9, 2012.
• Home Trends – Vol. 2/10, 2012. ( India’s Top 10 Homes)
• Home Trends – Vol. 2/ 11, 2012 ( India’s Top 10 Design firms)

SELECTED WORKS

Architedture

• Merchant, Bungalow, Mahableshwar.
• Aditya Ruia, Bungalow, Khopoli.
• Ruia Stud Farm, Viewing ring, Poona.
• Alok Ganguly, Alibaug.
• Thakur, Row house, Mumbai.
• Porus Buhariwala, Bungalow, Mahableshwar.
• Esjay International Pvt. Ltd., Garment Factory Complex, Gujarat.
• Restoration for Office, Mumbai.
• Hansraj Morarji Public School – Kindergarten, Primary School, Secondary School & Laboratory Building at Mumbai.
• Madhavi Desai, Bungalow, Kihim.
• Himatsingka Seide Limited., Archive Room & Studio Extension to Admin Block, Bangalore.
• Sajjan India Pvt. Ltd., Administration Offices, Ankleshwar.
• Residential development (duplex apartments), Bangalore.
• Shah, Bungalow, Alibaug.
• Madhavi Haryani, Bungalow, Khandala.
• BMC Schools, Upgradation, Renovation, & Reconstruction of multiple schools across Mumbai.
• Office building for M/s And Designs India Ltd, Navi Mumbai.
• Town house for Anita Dongre, Navi Mumbai.

(Cost of the above Architectural Works range from, Rs. 22.0 to 250.0 Lacs.)

Interior Works

• Sheetal India – Fashion and Garment House Main Corporate Headquarters,
• Branch Stores, Ancillary Activities like Design Studios, Offices etc., totalling around 20,000Sqft.
• SDS Fashion Stores, Mumbai.
• Sheetal International Fashion Stores at Dubai, Muscat, Singapore & New Jersey.
• AND Fashion Stores at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkatta & Ahmedabad .
• Anita Dongre, Couture Stores at Mumbai & Delhi.
• Gini & Jony Fashion Store at Mumbai & Guwahati.
• Kaysons Fashion & Saree Stores Mumbai.
• Scram Fashion Stores for Children at Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkatta, Baroda, Indore &  Ahemdabad.
• Hemant Trivedi, Design Studio, Mumbai.
• Chemistry Fashion Stores at Mumbai & Navi Mumbai.
• DIA Fashion Store, Mumbai.
• Kings (Raymonds) Fashion and Fabric Store, Mumbai.
• Heinz India Pvt. Ltd Corporate office, Mumbai.
• Esjay International Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Offices, Mumbai.
• Esjay International Pvt. Ltd. (Branch Office), New York.
• Premier Automobiles, Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Accon chemicals Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Premier Auto Electric Corp. Ltd., Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• FX Design, Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Strategic Partners Ltd., Corporate Office, International Investment Consultants.
• Heavy Duty Clothing Co., Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• D.H.Law & Associates, Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Patil Group of Industries, Corporate Office, Hyderabad.
• L.S.Patil, Bungalow, Hyderabad.
• Southern Courier Services, Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Amit Deshmukh, Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Dawn Mills Ltd., Corporate Board Room, Mumbai.
• Rajeev Gandhi Institute of Technology – Mumbai
  - RGIT, Managing Trustee’s Office
  - RGIT, Administrative Offices.
  - RGIT, Multipurpose Hall.
  - RGIT, Seminar Hall
• Ritesh Deshmukh, Residence, Mumbai.
• Dr. R.C. Patel, Mumbai.
• Bombay International School, Library and Offices, Mumbai.
• Himatsingka Seide Ltd., Corporate Board Room, Bangalore.
• Himatsingkas, Family House, Calcutta.
• Himatsingkas ,Ali Askar duplex apartments, Mumbai
• Aditya Himatsingka, Family House, Banglore
• Dinesh Himatsingka, Family House, Banglore.
• Vineeta Ruia, Residence, Mumbai.
• Nirmal Ruia, House at the Ruia Stud farm-Pune.
• Aditya Ruia, Residence, Mumbai.
• Jhawar, Family Duplex, Calcutta.
• Himanshu Nanda, Residence, Mumbai.
• Patel, Residence, Mumbai.
• Kanakias, Residence, Mumbai.
• Madhavi Desai, Residence, Mumbai.
• Madhavi Desai, Consulting Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Merchant, Residence, Mumbai.
• Arvind Pittie, Residence, Mumbai.
• Universal Consulting., Corporate Office, Mumbai.
• Guild art gallery- I, Mumbai.
• Guild art gallery- II, Mumbai.
• Bombay art gallery, Mumbai.
• Sunil Gawde, Artist studio & Residence, Mumbai.
• Prasad Naik, Artist studio, Mumbai.
• Duplex apartment for S. K. Himatsingka, Banglore.
• AND Group Flagship stores at Bandra & Lions Gate, Mumbai
• Anita Dongre Flagship Bridal store at Phoenix Mills, Mumbai.
• Apartment for Mahesh Bhupati & Lara Dutta, Mumbai.

(Costs of the above Interior Works range from Rs. 3.0 Lacs to Rs. 250.0 Lacs)