Dipen Gada & Associates

Dipen Gada was on course to become a civil engineer when a simple request changed his life’s purpose. He was asked to supervise a cousin’s home remodelling. His ideas to make the project better made the result stand out. Soon, requests to take on more projects came pouring in when word of his design sensibilities spread.

This eventually led him to establish design boutique firm Dipen Gada and Associates in 1993 in Vadodara, Gujarat. For the past 28 years, the firm he describes as “small and cosy” has made an impression for its minimalistic and timeless design in architecture, interior design, landscape and product design.

Despite the demand, he takes on projects on a selective basis and is mindful of the trust people put in the firm to achieve a dream. “We have to be responsible for fulfilling that dream in terms of their desires to achieve something very beautiful,” says Gada.

The firm’s motto, SAHAJ, which means feeling comfortable within an environment, is at the heart of every design. “The silent picture of the design gives lots of positive energy and good health,” says Gada.

For Gada, the most important aspects of the design should include “respecting the climatology and the surrounding spaces”, utilising materials in the best way, and consuming less energy.

Sanket India, an electronics showroom in Anand, Gujarat, was created by using the right material and techniques to reduce additional heat from coming in. Marble was utilised to give impact and complement the natural light for Baba Marble, a marble and stone showroom in Gujarat.

Gada feels designers need to be sensitive about using materials in the right way and not just for the aesthetics to achieve the right results. “When the designs are fancier on paper, but not practical in reality, then the design is creating chaos,” says Gada.

The firm’s ongoing projects include residential and commercial projects in Vadodara, Indore, Hyderabad and Surat.

By Darielle Britto