Architects & Interior Designers

Ar. V.T. Anand & Ar. Neelaksh Mahajan, VBT Consortium

The government should intervene and give tax rebates for clients using sustainable features. This will give builders and developers an incentive to pursue sustainable design to offset the premium associated with it. It would be admirable for the government to get involved in the greening of the locality and public

Ar. Ankoor Sanghvi, Ankoor Sanghvi Architects

Going Green is the only way if we are to have a future. The vernacular architecture in India has always been eco-friendly, even the post-independence architecture till the 1970s has been climate responsive. It is only with the widespread use of glass and air-conditioning that the values of designing with the climate

Green Architecture is architecture that is thoughtfully and consciously evolved in order to prevent or minimize environmental degradation. Adoption of eco-friendly building practices in India has been relatively slow-paced over the last decade for various reasons. However, the good news now is that we are slowly

Ar. Amey Kamat & Ar. Tushar Joshi, Ozone Designs

India has rich traditions and history in holistic strategies for buildings and construction. Despite this, the sustainable buildings agenda currently receives limited attention in India. While there are some local initiatives promoting sustainable buildings, which include research, pilot or advocacy projects, there is

Ar. Suneel Kaushik, Silhouette Design Studio

Looking at the scarcity of land and increasing demand of workspace sustainability can only be the solution to meet the pressure. The architects have been playing a vital role in inducing sustainability with their innovative ideas and incorporation of advanced technologies. Currently, when we talk about sustainability

Ar. Aashish Karode & Ar. Sushil Louis Karer Design Atelier

By their nature, green practices are not at cross purposes to good design - which is after all, good business. Yet India’s progress in adopting green practices and promoting eco-friendliness is relatively behind that of other countries. The primary challenge to this is India’s slow pace of modernization and

Ar. Nilesh Bansal & Ar. Tejeshwi Bansal Chaukor Studio

Throughout history architecture has emerged and has been shaped by fundamental factors like climate and availability of natural resources. Since this practice of construction has continued for many millennia, the art of building has evolved over many trials and failures. The climatic orientation of the buildings, natural

Green building architecture is about using the principles of design, orientation and material science in a way that it strikes the right balance to reduce the impact of building activity, and aligning it with the broader objective of sustainable living. Eco-friendly structures, sensitive to local climate have always

Ar. Manuj Agarwal, Manuj Agarwal Architects

India has rich traditions and history in holistic strategies for buildings and construction. Despite this, the sustainable buildings agenda currently receives limited attention in India. While there are some local initiatives promoting sustainable buildings which include research, pilot or advocacy projects, there is no

The key concept behind sustainable architecture is to build in a way that reduces or minimises harmful impact to the environment. I believe India has a strong history of creating sustainable and climatically sensitive architecture. Open building designs and local / climatically sensitive materials have been extensively

Sustainable architecture is at the epicentre of our practice. Through simulations and creating real time feedback loops, we look at optimizing primarily the form of the building deal with parameters relating to eco-friendly architecture. The second stage is careful selection of materials and specifications. The intent of

The Indian subcontinent has historically been at peace with nature for a very long time, principally because we have a much more equitable climate than most western countries. Vernacular Indian architecture has been extremely eco-friendly throughout most of recorded history, and it is reflected in the social fabric

Architectural design in accordance with sustainability principles like lesser use of resources, energy and water efficiency without compromising on the quality of indoor environment, is Green Architecture. There has always been sustainability in the roots of Indian architecture; refer to the old ancient buildings

Our lifestyles are becoming more and more carbon intensive each day. In the haste of our modern ways of life, we have consistently breached the limits set on us by our own planet. To quote Terri Swearingen: “We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to.”

Ar. Gauri Gandhi & Ar. Vikas Gandhi, plan loci

The modern era has flooded India with a sense of globalization and standardization. Concrete and brick have become the most used materials in our buildings today. Skill has followed suit and one can find teams for such type of construction readily in most of the places in India today. A recent import has been to imbue

Ar. Harish Tripathi & Jyoti D. Tripathi, Architect Harish Tripathi & Associates

The concept of sustainability is not a new-age phenomenon, but is an age-old tradition. Being a sub-tropical country, Indian architecture is inherently climate responsive. Verandas, courtyards, buffer zones, terraces and sun shading devices are not new to us. Today, we live in an age of pseudo sustainability. When we started

Nowadays, eco-friendly, sustainable and green are buzzwords. However, defining them in relation with building design is complex. There is an urgent need in India to extend the understanding of sustainable architecture with socio-cultural aspects in its production. Indian builders and architects have failed to recognize

The Sofitel Tamuda Bay's architecture and interior design were conceived by us as a smooth and seamless transition between indoors and outdoors. Moroccan culture and craftsmanship are rich in colour and texture and are highly characteristic of this Mediterranean civilization which has evolved over many centuries. The use of innovative materials and methods allowed me to reinterpret this traditional lifestyle into a contemporary language. A telling example is the use of Plexiglas to create the moucharaby screens of the Sofitel Tamuda Bay – Galal Mahmoud.

A contemporary and multicultural approach

Born to Egyptian parents and having an English grandmother and Lebanese citizenship, Ar. Galal Mahmoud lived in France for several years after fleeing the civil war in Lebanon with his family in 1976. He graduated from the Ecole d'Architecture de Versailles in 1986, opening his first architects' practice in Paris the following year. In 1996, he founded GM Architects in Beirut, specializing in the luxury hotel and upscale seaside resort markets. During his many trips to Asia, Galal Mahmoud witnessed Asian societies' lifestyles that are equally comfortable in an outside environment as inside a house. These experiences are at the root of his philosophy and approach to architecture where the concepts of 'well being' and multiculturalism are the key.

'Contextual immersion' therefore lies at the heart of GM Architects' way of thinking. Galal Mahmoud steeps himself in the geographical, historical, and cultural environment of each project. He makes these contextual components his own, reworking them in a way that is relevant to and easily comprehensible by contemporary society, but also respectful of the identity and culture of the location in question.

GM Architects is managed by Galal Mahmoud in partnership with Randa Chahine, Anwar Hajj, and Elie Waked. The firm has bases in Beirut and Abu Dhabi and is active worldwide with projects in France, Africa, the Middle East and throughout the Mediterranean region. The firm's expertise encompasses interior design, landscape architecture and site evaluation and analysis in seafront locations. The Museum of Civilizations designed by GM Architects was selected for the 'Future project of the year' category at the World Architecture Festival Singapore in 2014. In March 2015, it scooped the 'Cultural Regeneration' category at the 26th MIPIM Architectural Review Future Projects awards before winning an 'International Architecture Award' in 2015.

Ar. Sanjay Arora/ Ar. Sanchit Arora, Renesa Architecture Studio

Renesa Studio and architectural & interior design consulting firm based in New Delhi, is led by Sanjay Arora, Principal Architect & Founder, along with his son Sanchit Arora, Studio Head Architect. Renesa Studio has partnerships with industry leaders who include landscape specialists, contracting firms, furniture manufacturers, etc. The added benefit of these partnerships is that Renesa ensures on-time and on-budget completion of projects.

Sanchit Arora holds a bachelor's degree in Architecture from Sushant School of Art & Architecture, Gurgaon, Educational Scholarship Programs from AA school of Architecture, London, and Politecnico Milano, Italy. He has won top honors in the University and Dean's List for his thesis on 'The Shadow Spaces'- an architectural look at the existing cremation spaces of New Delhi. He was also winner of the 'NASA THESIS of the Year', NDTV Students Awards and Jury Commendation for the Best Thesis Project, amongst others.

While the basic planning of spaces has to be always simple and logical, but for their ambience, the architect should always try to create something different; this will ultimately lead to innovation. As there's always going to be a better way of doing the same design, we as architects need to be hungry for new solutions" - Sanjay Arora

The best way to move forward in designing a space is to critique your own design after every step. To quote Henry David Thoreau: Since most of us are going to be doing ordinary things in our lives, the most important thing is to do those ordinary things extraordinarily well" - Sanchit Arora

Ar. Rajiv Khanna/ Ar. Sabeena Khanna, KIA design studio

Each project designed is unique to its site and setting, planning and purpose, having a strong sense of belonging. My designs seek inspiration from real life" Ar. Rajiv Khanna

I believe in Leonardo Da Vinci's "simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." Besides, "Life is short so lets build stuff that matters" Ar. Sabeena Khanna

KIA stands for Kreate, Inspire, and Achieve. The team at the design studio seeks inspiration from nature, which offers a varied palette of colors, shapes, forms, and textures to innovatively create specific design solutions for each project. Over the last 30 years of its existence, KIA has designed projects of all types and magnitudes. It is spearheaded by Rajiv and Sabeena Khanna, graduates from the prestigious school of architecture, Chandigarh, the world famous city created by the renowned master architect, Le Corbusier.

Founder Principal of KIA design studio, Ar. Rajiv Khanna has nearly 35 years of experience in the interdisciplinary fields of Architecture, Design, Management, and Real Estate. His work spans across the country as well as engages with international concerns. The magnitude and type of projects include master planning, urban design, residential developments, mixed land use projects, hospitality, retail recreational, institutional and educational projects as well as corporate interiors.

The firm's international alliances include the Dubai Lifestyle City, Dubailand for ETA Group, Concept Creation of a mixed land-use development at Sharjah on a land lot measuring 9 sq.kms, hospitality project in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a 500 acre mixed land-use cum residential development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Creative head of KIA design studio, Sabeena is the mastermind behind each project undertaken. Recipient of Le- Corbusier Gold Medal, Sabeena also topped her University with her creative intellect. Fellow member of Indian Institute of Architects (IIA ) and Associate member of Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID), she is on the Jury for many renowned architectural awards recognizing fresh talent.

Some of her known projects include the Timber Trail in Himachal Pradesh, Umrao Boutique Hotel on National Highway-8 in Delhi, District Headquarters in Goa, and the prestigious Cottage Industries Emporium at STC building, Janpath, New Delhi. Some of the recent projects include Al Wathba and Mussaffah schools in Dubai, UAE; Housing projects- Palm Drive, Emaar MGF, The Grand and The Petioles based in Gurgaon (NCR).

Ar. Prashant Chauhan/ Ar. Anu Chauhan, Zero9

Prashant Chauhan scales beyond the boundaries of architecture to explore other design disciplines. His belief 'Design is Boundless' is at the core of his Zero9, which deals with projects in architecture, advertising, interior, and exhibition design. Winner of national and international design awards, he enjoys sharing his thoughts with aspiring architects at Rizvi College of Architecture, where he began his quest for lifelong learning. He also has a passion for travel, photography, and technology. His curiosity towards scriptures and spirituality is reflected in his minimal and clutter-free approach to design.

Anu Chauhan's academic qualifications as an architect combine with her practical experience in advertising and retail visual merchandising, as she takes on diverse projects in her studio Zero9. She scales seamlessly between architecture and interior design. Anu's strength lies in her balanced approach and her expertise in developing and refining concepts into innovative, workable solutions. Her love for travel helps her explore architecture and art across the globe.

"d6thD refers to the 6th dimension to "feel good". The 6th dimension is not restricted to measure the physical world but to explore the Feel Good Spaces. Any object or space can be measured in 3-D, but to feel good about it, is the 6thD. We design to let one feel good, and we are interested in exploring ways in which spaces can create experiential happiness. So we are passionate about design, but driven by ideas rather than personalities. We visualise the practice as a sheltered and collaborative place for reflection, where a community (including clients and other collaborators) can reflect on how to make life happy and feel good through architecture." – Ar. Himanshu Patel

Orange Architects was established in 2010 by Michiel Hofman, Patrick Meijers and Jeroen Schipper as a multidisciplinary design firm, working in the field of architecture, interior design and urban planning. The goal is to create inspiring, powerful and rich environments in every design-scale from urban (re)-development to product design; collective housing to luxurious villas; and office planning to private interiors.

The firm has been working on ambitious projects in The Netherlands, Russia and the Middle East, particularly in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia. The designs draw great inspiration from both local culture and cutting-edge design techniques. The team's rational approach is tempered by its sensitivity to local character, the setting and the users. The projects display Orange's prime merit: the ability to embrace local traditions – and fuse them with new, innovative ideas and forms – creating synergy between the present and the future. The firm develops appealing, conceptually sophisticated responses to complex spatial challenges.

"I like materials like Aluminum and Corian that can bend and flex, and offer performance, making the home cooler in the heat and dryer in the rain. It’s not just art, it’s the expression mixed with building science. There is also the opportunity to explore lush variation, intricacy and taking the lines and directing them with out the limitations of scale or format. I want to draw the lines wherever I want to... wherever they want to... lines can attract to release... like music.. or more importantly... the grandiose lines of nature are the ones we emulate."

Mario Romano is an artist specializing in architecture, design and digital fabrication. He is committed to advancing the language of complex geometries and manifesting them into the physical world. He blurrs the lines, from floor to roof, from wall to floor, by building facades that undulate like ocean waves and interior carved walls that blur into floors, calling his architecture a "Second Nature". Trained in construction methods, and having studied at UCLA university, he blends machines and computers to literally Print his design.

With an affinity for Nature’s forms, Mario has pioneered his own design-build systems incorporating customized digital tools, CNC machining technology with hassle-free construction techniques. He has designed and built over 50 million dollars worth of high-end residential projects from the ground up.

Mario literally sculpts his homes, sometimes standing across the street directing the building process. In one instance, he composed a facade to emulate the intricate weave of bird feathers. In another building envelope, he wrapped a home with monolithic white-metal ribbons. In one way, Mario is rocketing into the future, in another, he is returning to the organic. With Three more large project to come, each one will be unique, but like a snowflake, recognizable.