2024 Winner
Category - Architecture - Residential Villa & Bungalow
Ronak Gangdev & Celia Fernández Duque
Playball Studio
Playball Studio is an Indo-Spanish design practice focused on architecture, urbanism, and landscape, co-founded by Principal Architects Celia Fernández Duque and Ronak Gangdev. The studio’s name embodies its playful yet thoughtful design philosophy—treating each project as a collaborative game where client inputs become the starting point for creative and context-sensitive solutions.
Celia studied architecture at ETSA Valladolid (Spain) and ENSA Versailles (France), where she learned under Pritzker Laureate Jean Philippe Vassal. She holds a Master’s in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism from ETSA Sevilla and was selected for the Baikal Winter University in Russia. After moving to India over a decade ago, Celia has worked on diverse projects including rural schools, urban educational institutions, the Goa High Court, and the Solapur Smart City masterplan. Her interior work includes projects for Phoenix Palladium, Plasser India, and Bsafal Group.
Ronak began his career at Flying Elephant Studio and was selected for the Dwell: Design for Density workshop at the Charles Correa Foundation. He later worked with Stéphane Paumier on major institutional projects. In 2017, he joined the Glenn Murcutt Master Class in Australia, where he learned from globally renowned architects. That same year, he co-founded Playball Studio, driven by the belief that every project is a chance to create relevant, grounded solutions.
Together, Celia and Ronak steer Playball Studio with a commitment to meaningful, collaborative, and honest design.
Area: 4327 sq ft
Set on a compact 10×24-meter plot in a university-adjacent neighborhood, Plot 33 showcases how spatial constraints can inspire bold architectural strategies. With the northern edge of the plot facing a public park dotted with mature trees, playball studio seized the opportunity to orient the home towards openness, light, and greenery—while sheltering it from the harsher exposures on the east, west, and south.
The design stacks the primary living functions across plates of varying sizes, arranged to create a dynamic cascading volume. This stepped profile not only shapes the residence’s visual identity but also improves light access and air movement across levels. The home’s most distinctive architectural element is its metal mesh façade—minimal yet impactful—offering shade, privacy, and climatic adaptability.
East and west façades are built with cavity walls, absorbing structural columns and further buffering heat. The southern side hosts the circulation core, providing both functional efficiency and thermal protection. Internally, each space is infused with the sense of openness—be it the visual connection to the park, the dappled light filtering through perforated screens, or the sense of height offered by vertical stacking.
playball studio, led by Ronak Gangdev and Celia Fernández Duque, is a globally inclined yet contextually rooted practice known for its exploratory design approach. Their work often blurs the boundaries between built form, light, and human experience—infusing everyday programs with architectural delight and cultural relevance.
Plot 33 isn’t just a home—it’s a study in how thoughtful design can unlock freedom and beauty within tight constraints.
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