LuxeBook December 2020

2021’s Top Design Trends Architect Rajiv Parekh , Founding Partner of Red Architects, tells us how HNIs and UNHIs are designing their homes post the COVID lockdown D esigning for the well-travelled and wealthy is always challenging as the attention to detail they expect, and demand is, sometimes, back breaking, but that also pushes you to innovate constantly. Our experience on discerning clients has taught us that we, as a design practice, must be attentive to the idiosyncrasies of the end user and allow our clients to focus on what brings them joy. A large part of design is about correctly predicting what possible needs may arise from a client base. We put ourselves in the shoes of the end user and go through the motions of life in the spaces we design. We, as designers must be experts in psychology, astrology, smart technology, machine learning, etc. In the current times, we believe that the new trends will come from the ‘experience’ of living with COVID, which has, forever, changed the way we live and interact with our environment and with each other. Some of the trends that we foresee are listed below for our readers to evaluate, agree or disagree. Most home owners today imagine their home as a safe haven, a retreat where they can insulate themselves from the stresses of interactions with the outside world. 1. Study and home office – Earlier, there would just be one home office in one’s home. Now, we have a study room, home office, video call room for each resident as that is where they will either home school or work from. We have started designing these spaces like we used to do the CISCO tele presence rooms with great acoustics and lighting, designed to highlight a person sitting across a screen. 2. Health and fitness rooms – Despite the resources, some HNIs and UNHIs would prefer working in a gymnasium of the nearest F-star hotels with the friends and not spend on building the fitness room in their home. But now, after the lockdown, we are being asked to design a spacious, well-lit gym with indoor and outdoor work out areas and a large LED screen for virtual training. 3. Masterchef level kitchens – People have now started engaging with professional chefs Architect Rajiv Parekh Founding Partner of Red Architects THE BIG STORY 12| L U X E B O O K | D E C E MB E R 2 0 2 0 D E C E MB E R 2 0 2 0 | L U X E B O O K | 13