Purnesh Dev Nikhanj - Architectural Photographer

This cafe in Pune, India looks it’s straight out of the movie DUNE. Mocha Pune Cafe Architects: Loop Design Studio Area: 7000 ft² Year: 2025 Photographs: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj Lead Architects: Suvrita Bhardwaj, Nikhil Pratap Singh Category: Restaurant & Bar Interiors Design Team: Himani Bansal, Rhythm Bansal, Akshita Saklani, Anshita Thakur Country: India Mocha in Pune evokes the raw, monolithic grandeur of ancient quarries and the mythical cave dwellings of Moria. The space is defined by massive, stratified columns and dramatic overhanging forms that blur the lines between architecture and sculpture. It feels less like a constructed space and more like one excavated from the earth itself. Textured surfaces echo layers of geological time, giving the impression that the entire structure has been carved out of stone over millennia. The architectural composition is a masterful play of weight and suspension. Cantilevered volumes jut out boldly, seemingly defying gravity, while inverted, hollowed-out vessels on the ceiling compress the space above, anchoring the room in a visual tension of push and pull. This contrast between heaviness and lightness enhances the immersive experience. Organic curves blend seamlessly with geometric rigor, creating an atmosphere that feels both ancient and avant-garde. There’s a paradoxical intimacy in the vastness—spaces that are monumental yet comforting. Every junction, every surface transition from vertical to horizontal, is detailed with precision, reinforcing the idea of architecture as sculpture. Mocha stands not just as a cafe but as a contemporary ode to the timeless power of excavated architecture and elemental form.

Yes, that's in India! ♥ Architectural photography of Mondeal Heights by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj @purneshdev ©️ All rights reserved.⠀⠀ Architects : @blocherpartners_india #adphotocontest

Red Brick House by Aura Architecture Studio In the agrarian plains of Rohtak, Haryana, belonging isn’t asserted it’s negotiated through restraint, material clarity, and an unwillingness to dominate the landscape. The Red Brick House, a 5,200-square-foot residence on a west-facing plot, is conceived within this logic. Here, brick is not a stylistic choice but an inevitability durable, self-reliant, and deeply embedded in the region’s building culture. Constructed in fired clay, the house draws from a tradition where walls do more than enclose—they perform. Acting as thermal mass, they absorb the day’s heat and release it slowly after sunset, moderating the extremes of the climate. There is no superfluous ornamentation; the architecture relies on the inherent character of its material to establish presence. Aligned along a west–east axis, the home addresses the street with a composed western facade, while the eastern side opens more freely, responding to light and privacy with equal measure. 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗝𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 Project Name: Red Brick House Location: Rohtak,Haryana,India Area: 5,200 sq. ft. Cost: Undisclosed Completion Year: 2025 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗟𝗦 Firm Name: Aura Architecture Studio @auraarchitecturestudio 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗧𝗦 Photographer: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj @purneshdev Have you tried featuring your work with Volume Zero? Publish your work with a few simple steps here: Go to linktr.ee/volume_zero or bit.ly/4fTGoYt Click on "Feature your project with Volume Zero. {Home Design | house front design | bungalow | India House Design | modern house design | brick house | |Contemporary House Design | Indian Architecture | Modern Indian House | Traditional Indian House } #volumezero #Haryana #volumezeroindia

Wild at Heart, a 3,000 sq. ft. residence in Raipur designed by @mymaati , is an introspective retreat that reimagines traditional Central Indian architecture through a deeply humane lens. The design is a return to elemental shelter, drawing inspiration from memories of courtyard homes where mud walls and oxide floors defined the domestic experience. To achieve this, the firm prioritized honesty in construction celebrating materials like bamboo, wood, and local adobe bricks in their raw, imperfect forms. These bricks, handcrafted from a blend of earth, sand, rice husk, and cow dung, create "breathing" walls that offer natural thermal comfort. By integrating open courtyards and filtered natural light, Wild at Heart functions as a sanctuary of slowness, inviting inhabitants to embrace an unhurried rhythm rooted in the land. Captured by @purneshdev [Architecture, Mud House Design India, Adobe Brick Construction, Sustainable Residential Design, Central Indian Architecture, Earth Architecture Raipur, Eco-friendly Home India] #FOAID #RaipurArchitecture #MudHouse #SustainableDesign #EarthArchitecture

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 | 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 | 𝐓𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐉𝐚𝐧-𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 This residence lifts itself from the ground to frame light, void, and stillness | @studio.minimalist Emerging quietly from its urban fabric, this residence stands as a carefully composed orchestration of planes that hover and masses that drift, subtly defying the weight of their own materiality. 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐥𝐞 Designed by: Minimalist Architecture & Design Studio Project Type: Residential Architecture Project Name: Residence T20 Location: Ludhiana Year Built: 2025 Principal Architects: Samridh Aneja (@samridh101 ) & Anima Aneja Photography: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj (@purneshdev ) 𝐃𝐌 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐬 #TheArchitectsDiary #TADMagazine #Ludhiana #Architects #Designers

Saniya’s styled home in Amritsar, now reimagined as a mansion for Hamza in Dhurandhar 2, is where storytelling meets space 😊 What was once a thoughtfully designed, lived-in home now transforms into a cinematic character - each corner holding presence, each texture adding to Hamza’s world. This is where design goes beyond aesthetics. It becomes narrative. It becomes mood. It becomes memory. From Amritsar to the screen, Saniya’s spaces don’t just get styled, they get cast. Architect @23dc_architects Photography @purneshdev [ Styled by Saniya, interior styling, cinematic spaces, mansion aesthetics, character-driven design, Amritsar home, luxury interiors, storytelling through spaces, film set design, warm textures, earthy palette, spatial narrative ]

Saniya’s styled home in Amritsar, now reimagined as a mansion for Hamza in Dhurandhar 2, is where storytelling meets space 😊 What was once a thoughtfully designed, lived-in home now transforms into a cinematic character - each corner holding presence, each texture adding to Hamza’s world. This is where design goes beyond aesthetics. It becomes narrative. It becomes mood. It becomes memory. From Amritsar to the screen, Saniya’s spaces don’t just get styled, they get cast. Architect @23dc_architects Photography @purneshdev [ Styled by Saniya, interior styling, cinematic spaces, mansion aesthetics, character-driven design, Amritsar home, luxury interiors, storytelling through spaces, film set design, warm textures, earthy palette, spatial narrative ]

This isn’t just a film set it’s a presence you can feel. A mansion that doesn’t just stand still, but watches, frames, and amplifies every moment. In Dhurandhar, it becomes Lyari. In reality, it rests quietly in Amritsar. But what truly stays with you isn’t the location it’s the emotion it holds. As Hamza rises, the house rises with him. Every corridor stretches, every shadow deepens, every frame tightens around his presence. It doesn’t just contain the story it becomes a part of it. Shaped by @23dc_architects , this space proves something powerful some architecture isn’t just built to exist, it’s built to be experienced. 📸: @purneshdev Styled by @saniya.tadha (DhurandharSeries, HamzasMansion, CinematicInteriors, AmritsarDiaries, IndianWebSeries, BingeWatch, Amritsar Luxury Homes, Lyari Mansion, Dhurandhar Film Set, Cinematic Architecture, Shiv Dada, Mohit Chawla, FOAID 2026) #AmritsarArchitecture #LuxuryMansion #Dhurandhar #CinematicDesign #ArchitectureAsACharacter

Kalrav, #Mohali, Punjab, India by Studio Vasaka @studiovasaka 🔗 /houses/kalrav-mohali-punjab-india-by-studio-vasaka Photography: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj @purneshdev Studio Vasaka: Kalrav—“the chirping of birds”—is not just a house, but a memory brought back to life. For the couple who live here, it rekindles the cadence of another time: government homes with deep verandahs, mango trees casting shade, and mornings that began with birdsong. Their sons work away from home and visit often, so the design balances solitude with the anticipation of reunion. The new site in Mohali is compact and urban, yet the architecture restores that intimacy with nature, transforming everyday life into ritual... #india #punjab 🔗 / A collection of the best contemporary architecture to inspire you. #design #architecture #amazingarchitecture #architect #arquitectura #luxury #realestate #life #cute #architettura #interiordesign #photooftheday #love #travel #construction #furniture #instagood #fashion #beautiful #archilovers #home #house ‎#amazing #picoftheday #architecturephotography #архитектура ‎#معماری

Master of patterns and perspective, @purneshdev is not only an internationally awarded photographer, but a trained architect! #DesignMumbaiSpotlight Based in Chandigarh, Purnesh Dev Nikhanj's work spans architecture, landscape, and interiors. He brings a beautifully cinematic lens and depth to the way we see space, and his forte lies in experimenting with illusions, light and abstract perspectives for storytelling. Swipe through to see samples of his artistic photography, such as the black and white series 'Paradox'. This project reinterprets the architecture of Chandigarh and the designs of brilliant architects like Le Corbusier, Perrie Jeanneret, Jane Drew, and more. Purnesh reminds us that architecture doesn’t end at the built, it lives on through the lens, and in the ideas we have about it. Follow us @DesignMumbai_ , India’s International Contemporary Design Show, 26–29 November 2025.

Pink Almirah, #Chandigarh, India by Loop Design Studio @loopdesignstudio 🔗 /retail/pink-almirah-chandigarh-india-by-loop-design-studio Photography: Purnesh Dev Nikhanj @purneshdev Loop Design Studio: The Pink Almirah is not merely a boutique; it is a sanctum — a living, breathing reverie built of brick, mirror, and memory. It unfolds like a whispered story, told in the quiet cadence of arches and the gleam of polished brass. Within its walls, architecture becomes ritual, and every element — handcrafted, carved, painted — feels touched by reverence... #india #retail 🔗 / A collection of the best contemporary architecture to inspire you. #design #architecture #amazingarchitecture #architect #arquitectura #luxury #realestate #life #cute #architettura #interiordesign #photooftheday #love #travel #construction #furniture #instagood #fashion #beautiful #archilovers #home #house ‎#amazing #picoftheday #architecturephotography #архитектура ‎#معماری

• Project: @thepinkalmirah • Photography: @purneshdev • Area: 3500 sq. feet • Location: Chandigarh, India • Clients: @sethianu10 _ @arshiyasethi_ @anusethiofficial • Construction team: @karveinfra The Pink Almirah is less a boutique and more a reverie carved in brick, mirror, and memory — a space where every surface breathes with the hand of the artisan and the pulse of tradition. As one steps inside, the world outside seems to blur and soften, replaced by an atmosphere thick with nostalgia and quiet opulence. Overhead, a vaulted ceiling shimmers with mirrored inlays, capturing light and movement like liquid silver, multiplying each curve and contour into an illusion of endless arches — as though one has entered a dream endlessly folding into itself. These arches, crafted from exposed brick, are not just structural elements; they are sacred gestures — each one hand-painted with floral motifs by skilled local craftsmen, their brushes translating legacy into ornament. Brass rods gleam softly under the golden glow of chandeliers—each one a jewel suspended in. And at the center a vintage counter — lovingly restored and enshrined with intricately carved panels — becomes more than a point of sale; it becomes a shrine to touch, tactility, and the human hand. The Pink Almirah does not merely house clothing; it curates memory, emotion, and the sensory poetry of Indian craft, turning every visit into a pilgrimage through design, heritage, and the gentle art of slow beauty. #retail #brick #designwanted #architecture #architect #designboom #product #archdaily #yellowtrace #cozy #heritage #design #retaildesign #instagood #instagram #instadaily #instalike #interior #arch #pink #architecturenow #indianinteriordesign #earthfocus #insta #architecturedesign #architecturelovers #archilovers #rustic #vogue__designs #heritage