Shefali Cordeiro, architect and owner of Line and Dot Studio highlights her architectural journey and designing modern, contemporary spaces.
Shefali Cordeiro spent her childhood surrounded by her cousins and a large, loving family where she was never held back from pursuing whatever interested her. An alumnus from Sharada Mandir School, Miramar and St. Xaviers Higher Secondary School, her love for math, history and art made her take up architecture as a career. After completing her B.Arch, she worked for two years and then qualified for a J.N. Tata scholarship to do a one year’s Masters in Florence, Italy in Interior and Furniture Design. A voracious reader, Shefali has varied interests and loves to draw, paint and listen to music. Anything related to art grabs her interest and travelling is her passion.
She elaborates on choosing Architecture as a career and opening her own venture ‘Line and Dot Studio’. “The highlight of my early childhood was the road trips that my parents took us on to different parts of India enabling us to imbibe the vast cultural heritage that is India. Later when we were of age to appreciate the historical monuments and culture we did a few trips abroad which really opened my eyes to a global world beyond just being Goan and Indian.” On completing her degree in Architecture, she worked for a couple of years with Studio 13 Architects, which has a strong modern and clean style of design.
Perfect Cup was the exact blend of spaciousness, clean lines and contemporary colours and materials that we envisioned from the start and managed to create a large expanse of windows, with high ceilings to have that outdoorsy feeling while being indoors. I had the opportunity to work on a small revamp for the Swiss Chapel in Mapusa, wherein we changed the look and repaired the roof without disturbing the old aesthetic
She developed an interest in interiors and furniture design through working on her projects. She decided to pursue her Masters in Furniture Design and Interiors in Florence, Italy and on her return back to Goa, Shefali opened her own studio. “I chose to launch out on my own as against being employed so that I could explore my creativity and retain my independence. It was a risk I took but 3 years down the line I feel that it was definitely worth it.”
Shefali then goes on to talk about her marquee projects, since she opened her studio. “One was the mess quarters of the Coastguard, a revamp of the boat of Paradise Cruises, Perfect Cup and interiors which I did in collaboration with my cousin along with a number of apartment interiors and Airbnb interior projects.” In each of these, her aim was to introduce a more modern contemporary feel to the spaces with pops of colour everywhere, influenced by the modernism and minimalism in design and subtle aesthetic that she experienced in Italy and Europe during her masters course and travels.
Shefali explains some of the projects in detail. “Perfect Cup was the exact blend of spaciousness, clean lines and contemporary colours and materials that we envisioned from the start and managed to create a large expanse of windows, with high ceilings to have that outdoorsy feeling while being indoors. I had the opportunity to work on a small revamp for the Swiss Chapel in Mapusa, wherein we changed the look and repaired the roof without disturbing the old aesthetic.” Another interesting project that she has worked on was a renovation and interior extension for the Shanti Niwas Social Service Society where she had to do a total overhaul of the roof which had half the wood eaten through. “For this particular project with budget constraints we had to come up with interesting solutions to cut costs and work creatively within the existing footprint to add more functional spaces for the nuns.”
Shefali adds that whenever she takes up a project that she designs, everything is done by her. “Right up from the tiling, electrical fittings to the wall finishes and furniture in the interior projects; are custom made to fit the space and requirements of the clients.”
Shefali’s design philosophy is influenced in part by her vibrant surroundings and in part by the philosophy “Less is More” coined by Mies Van de Rohe. “In all my designs I attempt to merge clean modern lines with vibrant accents. I apply this to each project and streamline the vast information I receive from a client to achieve clutter free, contemporary spaces.”
In the first three years, having been more focused on interior and renovation projects, Shefali follows a lot of Indian architects and Interior designers who are coming up with interesting detail work and modern spaces. “Aamir Hameeda, Essajeess Atelier, Design n dukaan, are some of the designers that I draw my inspiration from.”
Like every other line of business, Shefali has had her fair share of challenges. “In this field, maintaining a balance between work and personal life is a challenge by itself. Initially in the first two years I would get calls at all hours of the day from clients and contractors which left me with very little time on the weekends. So I had to make a decision to draw the line somewhere keeping my Sundays free so that I have time to rejuvenate for the week ahead.
A big challenge is also learning how to deal with clients, estimates and co-ordinating with the contractors. I have realized that an essential part of my work is co-ordinating the financials without negatively influencing the aesthetic” Throughout her journey, right up from starting the studio till date, her family has been very supportive and encouraging. Shefali says, “I often consult them and use them as a sounding board for my designs.” Regarding her future plans, Shefali looks to expand her experience in mixed used spaces and change the narrative of design into something that is not constrained by traditional commercial/residential divisions.
Shefali concludes with a message to aspiring architects. “Be true to yourself, enjoy your work and be sensitive to the client’s needs”
