Project Hira: A finite life, an infinite journey.
Project Hira by Fulcrum Studio is more than just an architectural creation —it is a deeply personal ode to memory, legacy, and reinvention. Named after Husna Rahaman's grandmother and on the very land where her childhood home once stood, Hira was conceived—not as a preservation of the past, but as an exploration of the infinite possibilities that arise when one is willing to shed the familiar and embrace the unknown.
Spanning 20,000 square feet, Hira is designed as two interwoven volumes—a residence and an office—connected by angular bridges over a sun-soaked void. These bridges, both physical and metaphorical, form the beating heart of the design, enabling a constant interplay of light and shadow.
The Residential Space
Hira’s residence is a deeply personal exploration of identity and emotion, arranged across four vertically stacked layers. These layers, are in constant dialogue with the sun-soaked void that separates them from the adjoining office. The design invites introspection and curiosity, evoking a sense of being lost and found within the interplay of light, shadow, and space.
The interior spaces reflect a majestic scale while remaining delicate in their micro-details and contradictions in materiality—rugged concrete juxtaposed with marble, and raw metal offset by heirloom fabrics. The living room features a tiger's eye inlay on black marble in a checkerboard pattern, contrasted with rugged concrete walls and raw metal I-beams. Lustrous marble floors meet heirloom fabrics draped over the sofa, while the chair adds a muted touch of color.
The dining lounge, suspended between the earthly and the divine, features a dual-material table—wood and dramatic flamed granite. Surrounding it, Gemma chairs from Baxter complement the verdure outside, while a Murano glass sculpture refracts the light and greenery. In a poignant corner of the dining lounge, a memorial wall honors Hira’s legacy. Pages from her handwritten cookbooks and her antique circular ‘thalas’ are displayed thoughtfully, keeping her spirit alive in the home.
Hira is a living, breathing ecosystem that celebrates its natural surroundings. The master bedroom, perched like a nest amidst treetops, evokes both intimacy and grandeur. Here, a framed blue silk scarf—a cherished heirloom—rests beside the bed, while twin grey oval tubs in the bathing area offer uninterrupted views of the canopies outside. The children's rooms balance luxury and playfulness with sculptural blue-grey marble modules and a picture-frame-like arboreal view in the bathroom.
The outdoor pebble bar, with its mirrored ceiling, leather-finished stone flooring, and playful chairs, becomes a playful extension of the interiors. The garden echoes the home’s past life, brimming with the sillage of roses and mogra. Meanwhile, the “nothing space,” crafted from perforated mesh and angular metal ledges, encourages exploration and interpretation—reminding visitors that nothing can be everything in the right space.
The Office
While the residence reflects introspection and memory, the adjoining office embodies innovation and connection.
The office space explores what it means to “go to work” in a post-pandemic world. It redefines productivity by focusing on mental and physical well-being. The interiors, though nestled in the city, open seamlessly to the sky, canopies, and birds, with the shadows of branches dancing across the spaces. This interplay of light and shadow is constant, creating cinematic movement and ever-changing perspectives.
At the heart of the office lies the kinetic conference box—a marvel of mechanical and artistic fusion. This structure transforms dynamically, offering different views when open and focusing attention during presentations when closed. Inspired by the pulley systems observed during construction, simple mechanics are elevated into poetic design, with conceptual models showcased in suspended, invisible boxes.
The office features perforated metal materials used innovatively to expand spaces, louvered windows, and custom furniture. Bridges and stairways crisscross at angles, guiding movement and creating shared pulse points of connection.
Hira reflects Husna’s personal philosophy of infinity. Though life, land, and materials are finite, the design creates infinite feelings and meanings for those who inhabit and explore it. Like a piece of art, Hira reveals itself differently to each person and with time, becoming richer in meaning.
As Husna Rahaman says, “There are few, if any, times in one’s professional journey that the construct of all that is known evaporates. Hira was born from standing still in the present—ready to receive, ready to create.”
Hira is not just a structure but a narrative—a timeless capsule of emotion, artistry, and architectural ingenuity. It embodies the journey of being lost and being found, of standing still and yet discovering movement, and of cherishing the past while looking toward the infinite horizon of the future.
