2024 Winner
Category - Interior Design - Commercial
Gaurav Chordia
Humanscape
Humanscape is a design-led architectural practice that believes in crafting spaces that are human-centric, contextually grounded, and experientially rich. Founded by Gaurav Chordia, an architect with a diverse academic background from PVPCOA Pune and a master’s degree in Collective Housing and Advanced Studies from ETH Zurich and UPM Madrid, the studio approaches each project as a unique narrative woven through spatial design.
Rooted in the belief that architecture is both a social and artistic responsibility, Humanscape engages with scale, materiality, and climate sensitivity to create spaces that resonate deeply with their users. The firm’s work reflects a careful balance of research, functionality, and aesthetics, with an emphasis on collective living, adaptive reuse, and contemporary housing typologies.
With a strong visual sensibility shaped by travel and photography, the design process at Humanscape is intuitive yet methodical—drawing inspiration from real-world interactions, cultures, and stories. The result is architecture that not only serves but also inspires, engages, and connects people with place.
Area: 882
Set in Bhusawal, Maharashtra, Nostalgia is not merely a design exercise — it is a heartfelt homage to the ancestral home of its clients. Designed by Humanscape, the project channels the spirit of Doodhbaori, a storied family home near Charminar in Hyderabad. What emerged is a 740 sq.m. space rooted in the memories of shared courtyards, kite-flying terraces, and long verandah conversations — where rooms were defined not by walls, but by togetherness.
At the heart of the design is the desire to preserve the rhythm and rituals of family life. Twin homes were planned side by side, sharing spaces like gardens and terraces to replicate the communal energy of the past. With no formal blueprint to follow, the design evolved from stories — vivid recollections stitched into architectural form.
Humanscape, the design firm led by Gaurav Chordia, is known for its human-centric approach that values emotional storytelling, slow architecture, and craft-forward details. With Nostalgia, they demonstrate how memory can shape spatial design as much as material.
The house’s soul lies in its introverted courtyard — a cooling haven that diffuses Bhusawal’s harsh summer light while linking all internal rooms visually. Locally sourced reclaimed natural stone from old railway quarters and salvaged timber columns reflect a deep commitment to sustainability. No new wood was used, making the house a material archive of regional heritage.
Inside, the palette of limestone flooring and lime-washed walls creates a soft, tactile canvas that invites sunlight, wind, and time to leave their mark. The verandah leads into a soaring double-height living space, where even the clouds seem reachable — a metaphorical reunion of earth and sky.
Over two years, the home grew like a living organism. New plants, heirlooms, and handmade décor filled corners and softened transitions. Each bedroom opens to a ‘jharoka’ — encouraging disconnection from devices and reconnection with nature and heritage. The kitchen, intentionally open-plan, breaks cultural convention, urging the family to embrace fluid, participative living.
In every carved niche, in every salvaged beam, Nostalgia holds space for the past while looking ahead. It’s a timeless canvas for evolving rituals, a sanctuary of quiet reflection and celebratory chaos — the ultimate tribute to the lived and the remembered.
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