“ I see design as a tool which enables us to empower lives around us”

Nidhi is a curious, ever-evolving designer, whose passion lies at the intersection of spatial design, materiality, forms and human behaviour. She envisions spaces as a medium to bring people a sense of being, breathing and living.

Her journey in design has been fuelled by extensive hands-on material studies and was often seen building furniture in the workshop. Her love for making has led her to develop a fragmented, zoomed-in approach to design where details and form take the forefront. A summer program in Denmark at a nascent stage of her career served as a major influence in observing and inculcating the ethos of craftsmanship, simplicity, care and comfort in her work.

Nidhi’s thesis project at the RCA was a response to a site in the heart of Spitalfields in London. She immersed herself in the intricacies of understanding the locality by taking street tours, dwelling on its history and having in-depth conversations with “People of Spitalfields”. Witnessing the rich tapestry of its past and the rapid urbanisation of it resulted in the design of a Performing Arts Centre.

“Theatre represents the foil of everyday life”

“Landscape of Traces” aims to create a space for expression amidst a bustling external environment. The design philosophy finds its roots in breaking the rigid norms of existing theatre design in pursuit of promoting community togetherness. Elaborate material explorations were pivotal in seeking to tailor the existing building with certain performative elements. Seating inspired by natural landscapes, perforations in walls and communicating Spitalfields’ diverse history by using custom-made aggregate materials elevate the sense and feeling of being in the space.

This project brings a significant strength in Nidhi towards the quest of designing spaces which are beyond the realms of aesthetics at the convergence of social and psychological change.