Designers Insight

His firm has, slowly but steadily, grabbed a foothold in the market and gained experience in several sectors – residential, industrial, hospitality, educational and commercial.

Over the past 40 years, Vinod Mehra & Associates have been associated with reputed brands such as Hotel Sun-n- Sand (Mumbai, Shirdi,Panjim); Airport Garden (Sri Lanka); Ashoka Buildcon (Nashik); Cello Pens (Haridwar, Daman); Flair Pens (Dehradun, Daman), Nayasa Plastoware (Una, Himachal, Daman); Asian Plastoware (Daman), Ashutosh Gowarikar Productions Private Ltd, Mumbai; Vavci fashion boutique, Amritsar; Simran International, Gurgaon; and Arya Vidya Mandir, Mumbai.

“Architecture and interiors is a service- oriented field. An understanding of the environment desired by the end-user is the main thing. Carving out a space that fits that demand, while creating striking and functional structures within the specified budget, is the challenge,”Mehra says.

On influences, he says that anything and everything around us influences me while designing.”It may be a chair or a building; natural scenic beauty such as a tree or its leaf, fashion apparel to the colours involved in it. It is just a matter of time when the thought is converted into a concept and implemented for execution,” Mehra reveals.

From initial meetings, programming to developing design concepts through sketches and drawings, execution and final handover, Vinod Mehra & Associates recognises and works towards a client’s requirements.”We pursue excellence in client service and aim to deliver quality design and build long-term relations (apart from structures),” Mehra says.

He speaks about the client brief for a recent residential project, offering to decode the design code that binds the project together.

“Nashik is ranked as the fourth fastest growing city in India. Renowned builders Ashoka Buildcon asked us to build their office tower back in 2007. For that project, we came up with a structure that had classical architectural nuances blended with a few modern elements. The building, known as Ashoka House, was much appreciated. Soon after, the owner decided that all structures that would be built by the company would follow the same idea,” Mehra says.

The designer was asked to conceptualise and design a residential complex, named Royale. He was tasked with merging classical elements with modern ones amid a built-up area of 3 lakh sq. ft.

The softscapes on site were well balanced with the concrete massing. positioned between two towers, so as to maximise light and ventilation.

“We also worked with a landscape designer to ensure that the landscaping was well integrated into the design. An existing well on site was an additional amenity which has been tapped and is being used for rain water harvesting,” Mehra says.

“As I said earlier, satisfying both the client and the end-user is the prime criterion. So we designed the exterior keeping in mind the client’s demand of the appearance and façade. The interior we kept modern and contemporary so as to give the end-user, the resident, the experience of living in a home that blends style and comfort,” Mehra says.

The design practice is presently involved with a range of projects, including schools and colleges in Nashik, a bungalows’ scheme in Lonavala, and a commercial building for NIBR in Andheri, Mumbai. Vinod Mehra & Associates has been nominated and has won a number of awards for innovative designing, material use and spatial planning.

The principal, meanwhile, is also passing the torch on to the next generation – Mehra’s two children have joined the firm, giving it a unique multi-generational identity and ethos. Clearly, there’s lots more to come from this design firm!