Gaumaya by Suman M Purohit
BSc in Interior Design
Gaumaya by Suman M Purohit, the winner of the Outstanding Conceptual Design Award, is a project located within the campus of the Art of Living. It is an introspective re-design interior project that transforms space into an earthy, quiet experience. Drawing opulent inspiration from the philosophy of Panchgavya—five sacred factors drawn from the cow: milk, curd, ghee, dung, and urine—this project entwines ecological awareness with modern tranquillity to offer an immersed, sensory oasis.
Composed of workshop space, café, baby cow shelter, barn, and shop, Gaumaya is a stroll through simplicity and sacredness. Each space is constructed from natural materials like repurposed wood, bamboo, terracotta tiles, and cow dung plaster. These aren’t shallow choice-making decisions—they’re storytelling vectors and spiritual presence bearers, designed to slow down individuals and entice closeness to the earth and to the now.
Rather than displaying Panchgavya as a sign, the architecture invites these substances in subtle, haptic ways. Warm, earthy walls of cow dung, ghee-soaked finishes that radiate gentle light, curd and milk that trigger soothing colour tones. The structure moves organically, guiding people through gentle transitions and gentle curves reminiscent of nature’s rhythm.
True to the Pause theme, Gaumaya is not merely built space—it’s lived space. Individuals don’t just look and use the space; they feel it through smell, touch, and the gentle invitation to breathe a little deeper, walk a little slower, and reconnect with the divine in the ordinary.
Ultimately, Gaumaya is a respite taken from a return to aware, earthy living where every material, corner, and contour beckons serenity.
True to the Pause theme, Gaumaya is not merely built space—it’s lived space. Individuals don’t just look and use the space; they feel it through smell, touch, and the gentle invitation to breathe a little deeper, walk a little slower, and reconnect with the divine in the ordinary.
Ultimately, Gaumaya is a respite taken from a return to aware, earthy living where every material, corner, and contour beckons serenity.