First Place Winner
BANDHAN – The Zen Path of Wood and Clay
Design by
Pavithra KV
Jury Critique
“Bandhan transforms public seating into a poetic experience that celebrates connection, community, and nature. Its thoughtful use of sustainable materials, modular form, and integration with living plants makes it both environmentally responsible and emotionally engaging.”
Pavithra KV
As an architect and designer, Pavithra enjoys understanding materials and exploring innovative, unconventional ways to use them. She has a strong passion for sustainability and for creating spaces and products that positively impact a diverse range of people. In her design approach, she strives to remain authentic by allowing innovation and simplicity to guide her decisions, ensuring that her work reflects her values while staying thoughtful and meaningful.
Celebrating Creativity & Vision
Winner’s Spotlight: An Exclusive Interview
Discover the story behind the victory — from concept to creation.
1. What sparked the idea for your winning design?
This project grew from my curiosity to explore materials, in this case - wood and clay. I wanted to understand their unique characters and see how they could be transformed through design. Architecture school taught me that mastering a material’s nature opens the door to achieving what seems impossible. Wood is lightweight, a poor conductor of heat, and strong in both compression and tension, while clay is non-flammable, heat-resistant, porous, and strong when shaped well. Both materials are sustainable, and exploring these properties helped me realise their potential to become a meaningful park furniture.
2. What makes your street furniture different from what we usually see in cities?
Bandhan explores how street furniture can be comfortable in all weather conditions. Common materials like steel and concrete become extremely hot or cold, making them difficult to use throughout the year. Although durable, they often leave public spaces feeling lifeless. Bandhan can be seen as a living piece of furniture, designed to create a sense of connection between people of all ages and, when placed in large numbers, between the community and city itself.
3. How does your design make city life more comfortable and user-friendly?
Bandhan enhances city life by offering seating that is both comfortable and adaptable to different users. The angled arrangements allow people to choose between privacy and casual interaction, without forcing direct face-to-face positions that may feel uncomfortable. Each seating cluster comfortably supports individuals or small groups, and the two seating heights ensure that children can use the space just as easily as adults. Together, these elements create a more welcoming, inclusive, and user-friendly public environment.
4. Did you use any sustainable materials or eco-friendly ideas?
Yes, Bandhan is made using two primary materials - wood and clay. The wood comes from factory offcuts that would otherwise be discarded, while the structural components are formed in clay and fired to achieve the necessary strength.
5. How does your design bring people together in public spaces?
People may initially approach it with curiosity, even a hint of hesitation, unsure of what to expect. But once they sit, they feel an unexpected sense of comfort and joy. With time, they begin to notice how it stays welcoming through every season and how it quietly ages with them. Slowly, it becomes more than just furniture, a familiar presence, something they grow attached to and that becomes part of their everyday memories. If it is ever damaged, the community feels the loss and comes together to care for and restore it.
6. What was the toughest part of creating your design, and how did you solve it?
The most challenging part was figuring out how the two materials could come together. It involved deciding which material would form the structure and which would become the seat. The right shape had to be determined to support a person’s weight while allowing production in multiple pieces. The aim was to create something stable, simple in appearance, and yet looks complete and whole.
7. How does your design reflect the character or vibe of a city?
The seating was not intended to reflect the character of the city, which is always busy and in constant motion. Rather, it was designed to mirror human consciousness, offering small moments to pause and reflect. It encourages people to sit, slow down, and reconnect with their thoughts. These pauses, though brief, are as essential as the ambitions and activities that drive us forward.
8. If your furniture were installed tomorrow, what impact would you hope it has on city life?
The seating is designed for people to relax and enjoy moments with their loved ones. It quietly supports these experiences, becoming a gentle backdrop for their memories without drawing attention to itself.
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