After a stint in America designing commercial and high-end residential projects Rubel Dhuna moved back to Mumbai in 2009 to start her design practice, Rubel Dhuna Architects (RDA). This versatile practice has, over the past 6 years, worked on a wide range of projects. These include the showroom of high-end home linen brand Bandit Queen, to luxury residences, commercial offices, and a housing project in Goa. The design studio has also designed a line of products for Nomad 97% India and is currently working on a college in Gujarat. The design philosophy of RDA believes that natural materials have an innate beauty, especially in their textures. These are an important element and are incorporated any design that the studio undertakes. Comfort is also key - Rubel and her team prefer to design flexible spaces over rigid, sterile ones, in an effort to bring in a sense of wonderment to each project.



Flyover Farmhouse - Bedroom Detail

Flyover Farmhouse - Bedroom Detail

Flyover Farmhouse - Semi-covered Verandah - Sitout Extension To The Bedroom





RDA's speciality lies in Residential, Retail, Commercial Architecture and Interiors, and Product design. RDA was awarded the EDIDA Award (Elle Décor India Design Awards) for Product Design in 2013.

How do your clients inspire you? What are the learnings you imbibe while working on their projects?

It is very important for me to build a project which reflects the very DNA of the client. The design process involves decoding the client's aspirations for their space and helping them redefine their lifestyle. This practice enables me to innovate and create efficient and aesthetically appropriate spaces. Due to this approach, none of RDa projects look alike. Every client is unique and comes with a different set of functional and aesthetic requirements. This gives us an opportunity to come up with different design solutions to similar problems.



What motivates you while creating inspiring spaces? From where do you derive inspiration?

Inspiration almost always comes from the site. The quality of light, air and sound in a space is the starting point for me to create ways in which the specific space can be experienced. Sometimes I like to open up space to the elements, at other times I work to soften the impact of the extremely harsh ones. I like to mould spaces in a way that creates unexpected yet engaging and lasting experiences.



With the ability to mix and match across styles, you have a unique aesthetic and strong design confidence. Tell us a little about your process. Where has this come from?

Surrounding oneself with the things one loves can be delightful and challenging at the same time. Striking a balance is key. I strive to establish coherence by balancing out the proportions. It is a constant quest to craft elegant and timeless spaces through simple details. Being able to play with natural light to bring out subtle moments of magic is always a pleasant revelation.

Complete the sentence: Home to me is…

Harmony, a home needs to be a place which allows you to stay connected with yourself, and with elements of nature.



What does Discern Living mean to you?

Discern Living gives you a plethora of options to choose from. It gives you clarity and enables you to choose intelligently. It also gives you a peek into the thought process of designers, helping you hone your own ideas and ability to understand design.

