MIM STUDIO

Meet the Maker

Nitin Barchha: Architectural Minimalism from Mumbai, India

MIM STUDIO

"We break design down to its essence. Rather than asking what to add, we ask what to leave out. This reduction process takes us through a mirror, emerging on the other side to discover richness—like the subtle differences between five shades of grey."

From their studio tucked in a quiet Mumbai bylane, architects Nitin Barchha and Disney Davis transform the fundamental language of architecture into tangible poetry—miniature concrete structures that capture the essence of modernist masters in forms you can hold.

The Craft

Material Immaterial Studio creates architecture you can touch—miniature concrete buildings that distill iconic modernist structures into desktop contemplations. Their signature "SPACES" collection transforms legendary works by Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Tadao Ando, and Oscar Niemeyer into hand-sized concrete sculptures, each piece capturing the essential volumes and voids that define great architecture. Working with high-density concrete formulated in their studio, they achieve remarkable detail in structures small enough to fit comfortably in your palm. Each miniature undergoes a meticulous casting, curing, and finishing process—poured with precision, aged for optimal strength, then hand-sanded and sealed for stain resistance. The result is architectural jewelry for the desk: pieces that invite contemplation through touch while celebrating concrete's raw beauty and its transformative role in modern spatial design.

The Maker

Architects by training with over a decade in practice, Nitin Barchha and Disney Davis founded Material Immaterial Studio in 2015 from a shared fascination with materials and craftsmanship. Their journey began not with market research but with pure creative impulse—a desire to create objects they were passionate about, regardless of commercial viability. Operating from their dual identity as The White Room architectural firm and Material Immaterial product studio, they bring architectural rigor to handcrafted objects, approaching each piece as both spatial experiment and tactile experience. Their minimalist philosophy mirrors their architectural practice: achieving richness through reduction, finding poetry in the essential, and celebrating the honest expression of materials. This approach resonates with Element Made's commitment to thoughtful design and authentic maker stories.

Materials & Care

Each piece begins with Material Immaterial's proprietary concrete formula, designed specifically for miniature casting while maintaining architectural integrity. The concrete develops character through natural aging, with subtle color variations and texture changes that enhance rather than diminish its beauty. Paired with precision engineering learned from their architectural practice, every structure maintains accurate proportional relationships to its full-scale inspiration. Care is minimal by design—simply dust with a soft brush and allow the concrete to age gracefully. Over time, the pieces develop a gentle patina that deepens their character, much like how great buildings improve with age. The sealed surface resists stains while preserving the material's essential tactile quality.