Ar. Karan Grover, Karan Grover & Associates
Born on 22nd August 1951, Ar. Grover completed a Bachelor of Architecture in 1974 from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda and a Graduate Diploma in 1975 from Architectural Association, London. Ar. Karan is inarguably the most influential green architect and a celebrated one based in Gujarat. His designs are people centric and he supports the idea of interweaving the use of passive strategies and new technologies together. His idea is not to create an immutable built space, but an environment which showcases the beauty of nature and is also region specific.
Ar. Grover won accolades in India and internationally. One of the real show stopping recognition of his works was being appointed Permanent Honorary Fellow of the National Academy of Environment at the hands of former President Dr. Abdul Kalam. He single handedly, after a 22-year old campaign, won India the nomination for UNESCO's World Heritage Site status for Champaner..
"Architecture is about the place, rooted in its context and culture."
Besides the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre, Hyderabad, a LEED Platinum rated building by US-GBC, his key noted projects include the Goa Assembly Building at Porvorim, Goa and District Office Complex at Bagalkot for Government of Karnataka.
Ar. Grover holds positions in some of the most reputed art and cultural institutes, such as-- Indian Institute of Interior Designers (Baroda Chapter), Kalabhavan Architects Alumni Foundation, Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) -Vadodara Chapter to. He is also the editor of the much known Design magazine "Design Detail", popularly known as Karan Grover's magazine.
Ar. Grover, Founding Director of Karan Grover & Associates is the voice of India's rich culture and heritage magnificently elaborated through his passion for architecture. Talking of his pinnacle entrepreneurial skills, he is also the Director of Grover Vineyards Ltd., one of the top names in the country.
Ar. Brinda Somaya, SNK
Her journey in her own words...
Over thirty years ago, when I started my independent practice rather boldly, looking back, I guess I never knew where it would lead me. I only knew I loved what I did and my work as an architect was not separate from my being. My early years of practice were rather isolated, as I had not worked in any large prestigious firm, nor had I worked with inspiring architects whom I could look up to as mentors. I wonder what my inspiration was and perhaps this isolation, in a way, gave me the strength to follow my dream and what I believed in.
"We strive to produce work that is innovative, and practical, while keeping in mind the social, economic, environmental and aesthetic issues relevant to each project."
My mother was a zoologist and my father was a power engineer. My first dream was to become an archaeologist. I was fortunate to be taken to different parts of India during my childhood, where I was exposed to different facets of architecture, history and culture. My elder sister went on to study architecture and that got me very curious. I used to talk to her about her studies and then I seemed to gravitate rapidly towards the profession. I completed my Master of Arts degree from Smith College, USA after graduating from the Sir J. J. College of Architecture.
Maybe if I had followed the more conventional route, I would have convinced myself that it would be impossible for a sari clad young woman, working in the world of the 70's, to set up her own practice. The confidence to follow my own path came from my parents, who just assumed that gender discrimination did not exist or certainly was not an excuse, my school who taught me that no dream was impossible and finally my husband and children, who valued me and my profession in their lives.
I believe my buildings speak for themselves. I am an Indian, and all what I am comes from my heritage. It is an intrinsic part of my being and will naturally reflect in my work in many ways. The diversity of my work is what I have enjoyed the most. I have built from the Himalayas to the south of India, from Bengal to Kutch and through the central plains and heart of our country, from Jharkhand to Indore and from Uttaranchal to Kodagu. The building types have included reconstruction of villages to hi-tech campuses, from orphanages and animal hospitals to state-of-the-art corporate headquarters, from the village school to the most elite schools in Mumbai and from conserving iconic heritage buildings to converting garbage dumps into parks.
There will be special ideas that work their way in my thoughts, but for me, hard work is the key to success. Architecture is creative and technical profession. It is not just idea, magic and sparks; it is translation of all these elements into reality. And that is a long, hard, difficult job. The ability to do that and to deliver a project of high quality is my challenge.
As architects our practice tells the world who we are and what we value. It is not a single building we designed which may have won awards, it is not something that only the stars in our profession have, it is something all of us architects have - our practice. Through my practice of almost forty years, I believe that an inclusive practice that spans our diverse population, be it economic or cultural, provides us with great satisfaction. The architect's role is that of guardian - he or she is the conscience of the built and un-built environment.
Ar. Prem Nath, Prem Nath & Associates
The journey of Mr. Nath in the initial stage of his career was challenging. According to him, "During my times, there was not much exposure to any such profession. My relationship with this profession started when I happened to start working as a blue printing boy and then as a draftsman, which exposed me to the interesting facts about Architecture. I eventually joined and passed out from Sir J. J. College of Architecture. From there I entered into the world of interior design and Architecture and have done a lot of hard work to reach on the present staure."
"Architecture is one of the best professions one can practice - it is the Mother of all Arts and perhaps the only profession that enables one to be involved in every aspect of human life."
Ar. Nath has always been establishing a lot many innovations himself - as an Architect, and has many Firsts to his credit, be it the first ever Revolving Restaurant - Ambassador Hotel, Mumbai, India's 1st ever Health Spa & Body Rejuvenation Centre was designed for M/s. World Resorts Ltd, at Golden Palm Resorts, Bangalore; First Multiplex-Mall in the country i.e. Fame Adlabs at Citimall, Andheri Mumbai, is a trendsetter for all other multiplexes to follow; Country's 1st fast-track IT Building was designed, executed and handed over to Morgan & Stanley of USA, in just 8 months period from the date of the first client meeting to handover; India's first Gold graded Township for HP-Mittal Energy Limited in Punjab has received HUDCO Green Township Award; India's first Platinum rated School - Cygnus World School at Vadodara, Gujarat; and many more.
Ar. Prem's design philosophy is to keep it simple and as functional as possible with a touch of drama; His designs are non-acrobatic, yet smart in all senses - they are detailed to the grass root level and that's what makes them successful.
The success mantra, for him, is the Professionalism he and his team follow at studio. They are not only very good in design and documentation but also fast in execution. "It has happened so many times that a client calls us after two decades or so, to review his existing building or needs some information about what was built, and we are able to retrieve the documents/designs, done then, in no time - that's our USP."
Ar. Prem is looking forward to work for major projects related to education, sports, infrastructure. He says, "I keep reinventing myself year after year, and keep upgrading myself for the next - I strongly feel that the future is Smart, and I am currently working on a few Smart projects, incl. a Smart Hotel-Resort, A Smart Comemrcial Tower, and so on."
Padma Bushan Ar. Hafeez Contractor, AHC
With over four decades in Architecture and innumerable unique projects to his credit, Ar. Hafeez Contractor had just not grown only as a well-known face in the architecture fraternity for his avant garde and surrealistic designs, but also as a man whose design approaches are in response to current demand. Ar. Contractor's constant belief, which he perceives has brought him to where he is today, is that architecture should be honest and should respond to the spirit of time, characterized by distinct ideas, disparate missions, contrasting convictions and divergent preferences.
Born in Mumbai he did his schooling at Boy's Town Boarding School, Nasik. After completing his architectural studies from the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai and post-graduation from New York's Columbia University in 1976-77, he started his career in 1968 as an apprentice with Architect T. Khareghat. There he became an associate partner in 1977. Between 1977 and 1980, he was a visiting faculty at the Academy of Architecture, Mumbai and in 1982 set up his own practice, Architect Hafeez Contractor (AHC), with a dedication to design excellence, efficient delivery and sophistication in building technology as his hallmarks. Today, he heads the largest architectural firm in India, with over 550 team members.
Ar. Contractor's passion is to create structures that exemplify functional and aesthetic qualities. He has shaped and changed the urban built landscape of the country through provocative, unpredictable and revolutionary ideas, while executing a wide range of architectural projects. His work spans the entire gamut of possibilities of the constructed space: bungalows, residential developments, hospitals, hotels, commercial complexes, educational institutions, sports facilities, townships, urban planning, civic redevelopment and infrastructure projects, etc. He is advocating for vertical growth of cities, judicious land use and the need for sustainable compact cities, to maintain a perfect harmony between increasing population and limited land resources. Ar. Contractor's special emphasis is also on social housing and his dream is to provide a house for every Indian.
"Architecture is a part and parcel of my life. It is something to me which is priceless and can't be expressed in words what I feel for it."
He is of the view that an architect should be very clear for whom (clients) he is creating; what should be incorporated in design that becomes unique once completed and draws others' attention. Also he should consider what will be its impact on the society, people and environment. He says, "One should keep abreast with changes and always adopt changes with time."
His design philosophy and thought process is not bound to one, but it varies depending upon the project, construction sites, client's demand, budget, etc. that he is dealing with. He solely believes in giving the need of a client, the utmost importance, as it is not just his profession, but his duty to fulfill those needs rationally.
Ar. Contractor was recently featured by The New York Times in their cover story "The Man Who Draws India". The Government of India conferred him with Padma Bushan in 2016, for his contribution to Indian architecture over 3 decades. He says, "Hard work, dedication, understanding of the social and environment needs and client's demand are the vital elements to get success in life."
Eric Carlson–Passionate to Design ‘Exceptional’
Born in Ann Arbor Michigan (USA) in 1963, Carlson after receiving his diploma in architecture moved to San Francisco to work with architects in America's ‘New Urbanism' movement. In 1997, Carlson co-founded the Louis Vuitton Architecture Department and in 2004 established his own firm CARBONDALE which later joined by Pierre Tortrat 2006 and Pierre Marescaux 2015. His previous professional experiences include collaboration with the Architecture offices of Rem Koolhaas, Oscar Tusquets, and Mark Mack.
Carlson's design philosophy is first and foremost based on a research for the "exceptional" Commitment to the "exceptional" makes exceptional service a vital part of Carbondale's intensive collaboration with their Clients. This approach stems from the experience of working on projects of prestige that demand the combination of innovative contemporary design with outstanding materials, detailing, and craftsmanship.
Carbondale's distinctive designs are the result of a progressive architecture ideology fixed on pragmatic foundations. Today, the practice is an internationally acclaimed Architecture office and particularly renowned as the first to bring Architecture to luxury brands. Its most recognizable design (both interior and exterior) is of the Louis Vuitton located on the Champs-Élysées, Paris's 7th most visited destination and a unanimously praised example of architectural beauty.
A wide variety of projects have been designed by Carbondale, ranging in scales from Urban, Architectural to Interior Architecture and Furniture Design, within settings throughout Europe, America and Asia. His most recent creations include the BMW showroom on avenue George V in Paris, the Museum 360 (Tag Heuer) in Switzerland, the Louis Vuitton Champs Elysées building and the Celine store on avenue Montaigne in Paris as well as the LV Roppongi and LV Omotesando stores and the Celux club in Tokyo. He also designed the LV store in Nagoya and a number of Residences. Exhibitions of his recent works include "Logique / Visuelle" in Tokyo and "Inclusive" at the Aedes Gallery in Berlin and Milk Gallery in New York.
Carlson's architectural honors and distinctions include, Architectural Digest's "Best Designers of 2013," "Asia's Top 10 Best Retail Interior Design Projects" in 2013 for Hong Kong's Perspective magazine, the UK Lighting Award for "Best International Project" in 2013 and "The Rare Talent Prize" for 2009-10 for the Center for Luxury and Creation in Paris France, the Award for "The Most Beautiful Construction in Metal in 2006" for the Atrium of the Louis Vuitton Champs Elysées Building. Additionally the Seoul LV Building on the prestigious Cheongdam-Dong fashion street received the Outstanding Design Award from the Seoul Metropolitan Government in South Korea.
Truly a unique talent in the realm of luxury design and architecture, Carlson has also participated as lecturer and guest critic at Harvard University, the University of California at Berkeley, Tulane University in New Orleans and the Architecture Association in London.
Vincent Callebaut Amazes the World with Fantastic Architectural Design for Green Living
Born in 1977 in Belgium and graduated in 2000 from the Institute of Victor Horta, Brussels, the ecological architect plans and builds ecologic projects for the future in his own architectural practice Vincent Callebaut Architectures. The goal of his projects is to change the way of thinking of his clients. He has developed the theme of the "town of tomorrow," which incorporates all the needs necessary to allow the population to live in an environmentally sustainable manner.
With inspiration from the Nature, he leaves no efforts to implement in his designs for the betterment of mankind. The designs of Vincent Callebaut, heavily indebted to naturally occurring shapes and patterns like double helixes, butterfly wings etc and inspire fellow colleagues, students, developers, and the citizen of the world.
His innovative design creations and eco architecture have won him numerous prestigious awards and plaudits including the Napoleon Godecharle of the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts and the René Surrure. The jury appreciated his dynamism, his expression force and the coherence of his concept and recognised´ a personality endowed with a remarkable aptitude giving well-founded expectations of great success and able thus to contribute to the fact that reputation of Belgium becomes a truth.
In 2005, he was the finalist of the "RE-New Architecture Pleasures" awarding the 12 best figures of the Architecture in the French Community of Belgium. During the same year, the Edition Company Damdi of Seoul dedicated to him at the age of 28 its first architecture monograph detailing the story of his awarded and exhibited projects during worldwide spontaneous proposals and international competitions.
In 2008, his second monograph "Archibiotic" was published in English & Chinese with the support of the United Asia Art & Design Cooperation at Beijing. He is confirmed as one of the most important leaders in green architecture and low carbon emission living. From New York to Hong Kong crossing Brussels and Paris, Vincent Callebaut proposes with determination and conviction prospective and ecological projects by insufflating locally dialogs and meetings that try to raise questionings on the society in which we live as citizen of a global world! Since, in the framework of his architectural firm and great collaborations (Jakob+MacFarlane, Claude Vasconi, Jacques Rougerie), he militates continuously for the sustainable development of the new Ecopolises via transdisciplinary strategies for an investigation architecture mixing biology to information and communication technologies.
His other monographs published include 'Ecological Architecture' (3rd) in 2011, 'Masters of Architecture' (4th) in 2013, and 'Fertile Cities' (5th) in 2014.
In 2015, Vincent Callebaut publishes his sixth monograph "Paris 2050" (Ed. Michel Lafon) in which he explains his sustainable visions for the City of Light and Love. Following the Climate Energy Plan of Paris - aiming to reduce 75% of the greenhouse gas emissions within 2050 - this 'PARIS SMART CITY 2050' is a research and development project. Vincent Callebaut works on the integration of plus-energy skyscrapers producing by solidarity most energy than they consume for the historical surrounding areas.
In the same year in Chicago, he was the Award Finalist on Innovative Design by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). In China, Vincent Callebaut awarded by the International Union of Architects (UIA) the Honorary Mention Award for his project "Wooden Orchids", a shopping mall 2.0 switching to the circular economy.
In 2014, Vincent Callebaut is awarded for the project Tao-Zhu Garden with the "International Architecture Award 2014" in New York organized by the Chicago Athenaeum and by the European Centre Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. In Singapore, for the same project in Taiwan, he was the winner of the "Highly Commented Award 2014" during the World Architecture Festival in the Future Residential Buildings category. By Greenroofs.com in Georgia, Vincent Callebaut, taking a Leadership Role in Green Design, is selected in the Top 10 List of Hot Trends in Greenroof and Greenwall Design. The Liaoning Science & Technology Publishing House Ltd edits his fifth architectural monograph titled "Fertile Cities, New Ecoresponsible Lifestyles inspired by Biomimicry."
In 2013, establishing his sterling reputation as practitioners of sustainable architecture, Vincent Callebaut was selected to be in the list of the Top 50 Sustainable Architecture Award Members of the Green Planet Architects. In Frankfurt, he is nominee for the "Design German Awards 2014" for his project in Shenzhen "Asian Cairns, Sustainable Farmscrapers."
In 2011, Time Magazine has referred to his work as the best eco-utopian architect: "Imagining fantastical projects that address the world's environmental and social ills." In 2010, Vincent Callebaut Architectures was awarded by BES Engineering Corporation as the first prize winner for the design and the construction of an ecological residential tower at the bottom of the Tower 101 in the heart of Taipei, Taiwan. This ecological tower called "Agora Garden" is under construction and will be delivered in 2016.
Mentioned here are just few accolades but there are many more recognitions to his credit. With commitments - To anticipate, To prospect, and To touch, Vincent Callebaut works in association with Architecture of the Living (Bios) and the NICT (New Technologies of the Information and the Communication) to build the future green ecopolis of tomorrow.
Design Forum International Aims to Achieve Excellence in Design
The practice started with the name "Tevatia Chauhan & Sharma Architects which later in 2003, was rechristened as Design Forum International (DFI) with a clear intent to foster an egalitarian organizational ethos where distinctive architectural talent finds self-expression and can contribute in a democratic and collaborative work environment. The practice has since grown from strength to strength and is currently marching ahead with a vibrant team of over 100 professionals; each pursuing a distinctive value based architectural spirit that DFI imbues.
Having won many accolades, DFI has emerged as an institution that attracts great design minds; who love to thrive in a professionally-charged environment focusing on every detail and exploring new design methodology for every project.
Ar. Goonmeet Singh Chauhan
Having had the opportunity to work on large-scale projects, Ar. Goonmeet has created Landmarks such as Select Citywalk, New Delhi and Cyberwalk, Kolkata. Along with his passion to use creativity, design and innovation, he is actively involved in the reform of city architecture with his numerous projects in the Public Sector. With a focus on creating design with a purpose, he has a strong urge to change what is not right with a futuristic approach, and his upcoming book "Betterment of civic life" is a response to this change.
Ar. Anoj Tevatia
Starting his architectural practice originally as a façade designer, his key style is the blend of traditional and modern designs amalgamated together with nature and materials used. He is an artist of spaces, adding vibrant details that bring them alive. His interest resides in an architecture where the integration of building system technology and a sense of place is clearly expressed. His enhanced ability to examine every nuance of design enables him to provide effective solution to projects of varying scale with a masterly ease. He has an immense ability to listen, perceive, diagnose, and solve the key problems that needs to be addressed in architectural projects. He combines his sharp logical ability with his joyful nature to create habitats that embody the wow spirit.
Ar. Anand Sharma
He believes that the cities must have a distinct character and as an architect, he lays great emphasis on contextuality in his design responses. With his extensive expertise in Architecture and Engineering, Ar. Anand is an exceptional team leader possessing the capacity to carry a project from initiation to final production. His strength lies in his ability to manage projects with overlapping disciplines at the same time applying both quality and budget control. As a partner, he uses his diverse knowledge and experience to guide the architectural, engineering and client teams to work together to deliver highly successful projects.
Zaha Hadid- An Internationally Acclaimed Star Architect
Photo Credit: Brigitte Lacombe
The legendary architect and the queen of contemporary iconic architecture, Zaha Hadid, indeed, needs no introduction being undoubtedly the most famous woman architect in the world who is consistently pushing the boundaries of architecture and urban design.
This Iraqi-British architect and the first female recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2004 is internationally known for her built, theoretical and academic work. Each of her projects builds on over thirty years of exploration and research in the interrelated fields of urbanism, architecture and design. Besides her strong conceptual and historical knowledge, nature's love appears as a source of inspiration for Hadid's architecture. Her projects are characterized by dynamic, sinuous shapes and fragmented geometry. She has challenged the boundaries of architecture with her sensual, expressive architectural language that has become an icon for vision of tomorrow's global architecture.
The Journey So Far
Born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1950, Hadid studied mathematics at the American University of Beirut before moving to London in 1972 to attend the Architectural Association (AA) School where she was awarded the Diploma Prize in 1977. Hadid founded Zaha Hadid Architects in 1979 and completed her first building, the Vitra Fire Station, Germany in 1993. From here she began her journey in the design and architectural world. She taught at the AA School until 1987 and has since held numerous chairs and guest professorships at universities around the world including Columbia, Harvard, Yale and the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.Working with senior office partner, Patrik Schumacher, Hadid's interest lies in the rigorous interface between architecture, urbanism, landscape and geology as her practice integrates natural topography and human-made systems, leading to innovation with new technologies. The MAXXI: Italian National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, the London Aquatics Centre for the 2012 Olympic Games and the Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku are built manifestos of Hadid's quest for complex, fluid space. Previous seminal buildings such as the Guangzhou Opera House and Contemporary Arts Centre in Cincinnati have also been hailed as architecture that transforms our ideas of the future with visionary spatial concepts defined by advanced design, material, and construction processes.
The practice is currently working on diverse projects worldwide including the new Beijing Airport Terminal Building in Daxing, China, the Sleuk Rith Institute in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and 520 West 28th Street in New York. Zaha Hadid Architects' portfolio also includes cultural, corporate, academic, sporting and infrastructure projects across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas, in addition to national institutions such as the Central Bank of Iraq and the Grand Theatre de Rabat.
Her recently completed projects include the Messner Mountain Museum Corones (2015), Oxford University's Middle East Centre (2015), Sky SOHO in Shanghai (2014), Innovation Tower at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2014), Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul (2014), Heydar Aliyev Centre in Baku (2013), Serpentine Sackler Gallery in London (2013), Library & Learning Centre in Vienna (2013), Eli & Edythe Broad Art Museum in Michigan (2012), Galaxy SOHO in Beijing (2012), Pierresvives Library and Archive in Montpellier (2012), CMA CGM Head Office Tower in Marseille (2011), London Aquatics Centre (2011), Riverside Museum in Glasgow (2011), Guangzhou Opera House (2010), Sheikh Zayed Bridge in Abu Dhabi (2010) and MAXXI Museum in Rome (2010).
Moments of Recognition
Hadid's work of the past 30 years was the subject of critically-acclaimed exhibitions at New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 2006, London's Design Museum in 2007, the Palazzo della Ragione, Padua, Italy in 2009, the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2011, the DAC Copenhagen in 2013 and the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg in 2015.Her outstanding contribution to the architectural profession would continue to be acknowledged by the world's most respected institutions including the Forbes List of the ‘World's Most Powerful Women' and the Japan Art Association presenting her with the ‘Praemium Imperiale'. In 2010 and 2011, her designs were awarded the Stirling Prize, one of architecture's highest accolades, by the Royal Institute of British Architects. Other awards include UNESCO naming Hadid as an ‘Artist for Peace', the Republic of France honouring Hadid with the ‘Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres' and the TIME magazine included her in its list of the ‘100 Most Influential People in the World'. In 2012, Zaha Hadid was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II; and in September 2015, the Royal Institute of British Architects announced Zaha Hadid as the recipient of the 2016 Royal Gold Medal-the first time a woman has won the prize in her own right.
Hadid's iconic and striking design usually stood out among the rest. She has worked on over 950 landmark projects, in every scale, around the globe and won a string of competitions which have only reconfirmed her strong place in the world of design and architecture.
STHAPATI Associates: Going the Extra Mile For Sustainable Construction
Anuj Varshneya
Vipul Varshneya
The principals expertise has garnered the studio with architectural accolades in diverse sectors like industrial, corporate, residential, educational, interiors, mixed use and commercial. Some of the prestigious national level projects include the National Bureau of Fish Genetics and Resources Lucknow, Indian Institute of Crop Processing and Technology- Thanjavur, Central University of Madhya Pradesh, National Institute of Technology- Raipur, School of Planning and Architecture Bhopal- phase II, Super Speciality Health Care and Medical Education institutes across India amongst others. The practise offers its clients a gamut of extensive services ranging from comprehensive design to construction management. Their qualified staffs are complemented by state-of-the-art, inhouse design and drafting facilities and software to cater to all types of project requirements.
According to the Principal architects, "We seek to achieve our goals by creating an office environment that facilitates creativity, teamwork, leadership, quality consciousness and continual improvement through innovation. Our project stands as a monument to our tradition of excellence both in India and abroad."
Harsh Varshneya
Khushboo Bansal
Harsh Varshneya, a triple gold medallist during his graduate Architecture, did his B.Arch from Sushant School of Art and Architecture, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, India & won the prestigious Developing Solutions Scholarship awarded by the Government of United Kingdom to pursue M.Arch in Sustainable Tall Buildings from University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom- the world's only course dedicated to Sustainable Tall Buildings. After working for a brief period in the United Kingdom, Harsh has joined STHAPATI Associates Pvt. Ltd. and gained expertise by working on many prestigious projects across India & abroad. Being responsible for key business developments, Harsh has had the privilege to work with many famous personalities from architecture and design fraternity in UK & Australia & has won many accolades and awards for his contempory design and architecture.
SPACES ARCHITECTS@KA Exploring Spaces
"Our motto is to design, detail, and enjoy working in responsive to our client's need in very honest, efficient and professional manner."---- Ar. Kapil Aggarwal
With an inclination for fine arts since childhood, Ar. Kapil Aggarwal, did his B.Arch in 1996 from MIT, Manipal. He worked for three years with reputed architectural firms in Delhi before setting up his own practice in 2000. He considers himself an artist turned into an architect, his project an extension of his art form, and his renovated house a reflection of his self where each space has been considered as a canvas frame.
Established with a vision of creating sensible, functional spaces enhanced by the intangible sense of emotion, power and playfulness, Spaces Architects@ka, a brainchild of Ar. Kapil, is an international award winning architectural firm whose work is known for its design quality, imagination and originality. The firm's imaginative conception results in architecture that can be extraordinarily responding to the unique needs throughout the design process, is just as much an architect's mission as shaping aesthetically inspired built environment through communication.
Ar. Kapil believes that architecture is a process of evolving, analyzing, feeling and creating a space which has an identity and that can breathe and communicate. According to him, architecture has no limitation and believes in experimenting with all mediums, scale and type.
He informed, "Each project offers an opportunity to pursue new solutions to complex building problems. Our motto is to design, detail and enjoy working in responsive to our client's need in very honest, efficient and professional manner. We believe that our works follow a unique style based on our ideology and perspective towards the design requirement."
Commenting on the firm's design philosophy and ideology, he says, "The word 'SPACES', of SPACES ARCHITECTS@ka is a very integral part of our being, we move through spaces, we identify with it, our senses response to spaces, we feel it. We work to develop that space for our clients where they emotionally get attached to it; it is not an empty sterile container but a sensual dynamic environment. Our spaces are not formulaic but are derived on the basic requirement of client and site. We feel each house, building or space has got its individual identity, like human no two buildings can be same we as an architect have to give it an identity and soul so they can breathe and communicate. We believe a building is a living object which can communicate; it is just that feeling that has to reciprocate in a very sensitive approach towards our work. Whatever work executed by us one can find that soul or we have at least attempted to and keep on doing that. Our firm in past years has executed over 100 projects ranging from furniture to corporate buildings with numerous publications."
Ar. Kapil has won 29 International and National award in last few years, with Adharshila Vatika School being featured in Atlas of World Architecture among few selected works from India, also the project has won Design share Award 2008, on awarded for innovative learning Environment, only Asian firm to win in this category. Sachdeva Farmhouse being winning entry in the World Architectural Community 18th cycle becomes the only Indian project to be selected in voting by honorary judges. Architect's Own Office being finalist in the Worldinside Festival-2014 in office category and SPACES ARCHITECTS@KA selected in Architecture Digest - AD50, 50 most influential names in architecture and design for 2015.
Ar. Kapil and his practice has been working on projects carrying from furniture designing to corporate building schools, residence, restoration projects, and so on.
Ar. John Marx’s Romance with Emotions, Intellect and Space
"Like the design process, the best buildings are a balance—contemporary yet enduring, rational yet provocative."
"Architecture is as lyrical as it is functional," is an adage John Marx, Design Principal at Form4, follows in all his designs. Design, Art, and Contribution stake out the operational boundaries, fundamental for the gestation of his work. A poet at heart, an architect by choice, Marx is after the thoughtful making of place through the compelling power of forms, aware that architecture remains a balancing act.
Informed by theory, touched by space, he remains as imaginative as rebellious in the pursuit of the architectural bliss. Conscious of the political, committed to the ecological, enamored with the digital, formed in the painterly, Marx processes all available influences to vision landscapes of collective life for a heightened human experience. To turn program into the memorable is an uncompromising priority, so steeped is his belief in the transformative power of architecture in people. No matter what place in the world he dreams of alluring geometries, what building type he is tackling, what patrons he is offering his design sensibility to, function, structure, and aesthetics are fused into the synthesis of a lifelong quest for the ineffable. Emotional meaning ranks high in his inner chart that drives intent to form-making. The meaning, the significant, and the enduring is what it is all about in his mind.
Sea Song, Big Sur, California, USA
His list of built, un-built, and literary accomplishments is long. His list of future objectives to achieve is even longer. John Marx might be the ultimate romantic architect devoted to the renewal of beauty in all its tangible and intangible forms.
Form4 Architecture Designing Emotions
Crashing Waves: Tongyeong Music Hall, Tongyeong Harbor, South Korea
According to Ar. John Marx, architecture is the art of giving form to ideas. Form4 Architecture always strives to create rational, empowering, and dynamic architecture. "Our work is performance-driven in that the buildings, we create, must perform environmentally, technically, socially, and financially. We embrace effective cost-efficient solutions in all aspects of the design process from energy and water use to interior materials and finishes because we believe in the enhanced user experience paired with a better return on investment."
As collaborative partners in the design process, Form 4's principals are personally involved with every project from concept to completion, bringing the collective wealth of years of expertise and knowledge to each client's vision. Over the last 13 years, the firm has built a rich portfolio of national and international work within diverse market sectors.
Luminous Moon-Gate: Taichung City Cultural Center, Taichung, Taiwan
Exploring from Digital Design to Fluid Dynamics in Architecture
As a practice well versed in digital design, it now enjoys exploring fluid dynamics in architecture, whether the end result architecture is rectilinear or curvilinear. Ar. John Marx says, "Through the lens of compound, curvaceous geometry, we seek to better understand the fundamentals of architecture, including place making, structural integrity, usability, and sustainability. Our hands-on approach is employed with the rigor and expertise of a large firm, allowing us to compete in the fast-paced, high stakes world of a global practice."
Oasis: Silicon Valley Technology Center, Santa Clara, CA, USA
He adds, "We are committed to create architecture that is relevant to its environment and stands the test of time. We believe that, like the design process, the best buildings are a balance—contemporary yet enduring, rational yet provocative."
Ar. Rajiv Khanna, Studio KIA
'My designs seek inspiration from real life'
Studio KIA is a multi disciplinary firm for Integrated Real Estate Development, Project Management and Design Consultancy in International context with offices in India, Middle East and USA. With over three and a half decades of experience, expertise, and excellence, Studio KIA is renowned globally in the spheres of Architectural and design practice. A comprehensive team spearheaded by Founding principal Ar. Rajiv Khanna and creative head Ar. Sabeena Khanna, it comprises Architects, Planners, Interior Designers, Engineers, Real Estate and Management experts who support the principals in all design ventures and have a combined experience of 140 years.
Founder Principal of the Design studio, Ar. Khanna has 35 years of experience in the inter- disciplinary fields of Architecture, Design, Management, and Real Estate. His works span across the length and breadth of the country as well as engaging with international concerns. "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," says Ar. Khanna.
Under his leadership, the firm has established several local and international alliances. The international concerns include, Shining Star International schools at Musaffa and Al Wathba, Abu Dhabi, Dubai Lifestyle City, Dubailand for ETA Group, Concept Creations so far are a mixed land-use development at Sharjah on a landlot admeasuring 9 sq km., Hospitality Project Design, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as also a 500 acre mixed land use cum residential development in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Marking its presence in diverse sectors of Infrastructure development-Master planning & urban design, mixed land use planning, residential, commercial, institutional, educational, interiors, hospitality, recreational and leisure, Studio KIA has done projects of all types and magnitude globally for renowned business houses, developers, and government organizations. The practice is capable and confident to perform successfully in current global scenarios in international markets and in every location where Studio KIA is engaged in business.
The firm has gained global recognition for innovative planning and thoughtful design solutions based on a thorough understanding of issues that drive the delivery of modern services. "We design for maximum efficiency and appeal, contributing to a positive experience. We are capable to engage ourselves at initial phase of the project and advice clients on feasibility analysis, detailed project report, financial assessment, master planning and detailed architecture, engineering and interior design," avers Ar. Khanna.
With a consistent record of delivering designs close to original intent and within the stipulated time and budget, Studio KIA's projects have won many accolades and received much acclaim from the press, profession, and public alike, like the ICI- Ultratech Awards 2012 for Outstanding Concrete Structure amongst others.
Ar. Reza Kabul, ARK
"Never give up attitude, patience, always ready to grab an opportunity, and keeping at par with the technology are the recipes for success."
One of the foremost talents in the realm of Indian architecture, Reza Kabul's foray into the industry was a random experience of viewing books on architecture that proved catalyst enough for a switch from engineering to architecture.
After graduating in Architecture from M.S. University, Vadodara (1985), Ar. Reza started his career with a brief stint at Hafeez Contractor's architecture studio in Mumbai. Later, in 1988, he set up his own architectural firm called 'Reza Kabul Architects Pvt. Ltd., India (ARK)' which today has become a comprehensive design studio with three decades of proven expertise in project design and delivery ranging from master plans and townships, to industrial, hospitality, commercial, institutional, educational, and residential segments. The firm has also grown to an international practice with offices in Mumbai and Pune, and its American counterpart ARK Studio West in San Francisco, USA, and has a number of highly-acclaimed projects to its credit.
Ar. Reza has envisioned and successfully executed a string of path breaking projects centered on the design philosophy of 'liberating spaces'. He has handled projects for leading names in the Indian real estate industry, and continues to enjoy the trust and appreciation with projects that set pioneering benchmarks in architectural design. Though he loves to work on projects of major segments and scales of design, but hotels and towers are his passion.
Started with designing mere a bathroom and bedroom, today Ar. Reza is the eminent personality in the world of architecture and has designed many famous buildings in India and abroad. His signature projects are spread globally in United States, India, Mauritius, United Arab Emirates, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Bhutan, Korea, and Nairobi. He believes that "Never give up attitude, patience, always ready to grab an opportunity, and keeping at par with the technology are the recipes for success." He is also of the view that one should always be ready to open the door as opportunity can knock at it anytime.
Being always ready to explore new concepts and technology to give 'Best' to his clients, he believes that accurate and sensible use of advanced products and technologies not only help in the creation of iconic marvels but also the sustainable ones. Moreover, it led the faster execution of the project that resulted in timely delivery thereby giving to customers' satisfaction.
His constant endeavors to develop innovative approaches to design fuel ARK's drive to deliver exemplary projects. He has won several awards and accolades for his out-of-the-box concepts and designs such as the Best Residential High Rise Development – India at the Asia Pacific 2015 for Transcon Triumph Johnson - Society Interiors Honours 2015 - Creative Excellence DNA Realty GEN NEXT - Award of Excellence 2012, The Indian Institute of Architects - Citation of Emerging Master 2011, News Makers Achievers - Best Architect 2010, Limca Book of Awards (2003) for Shreepati Arcade and many more.
A speaker for 'Marcus Evans Tall Buildings Conference' in Seoul, Korea (2008) and a pioneer in tall buildings, Ar. Reza is also the member of American Institute of Architects (AIA), Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA), Associate, Indian Institute of Architects (AIIA), Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) and Council of Architecture (COA).
Meet plan loci
After completing their graduation from the School of Planning and Architecture in 2001, Ar. Vikas started his career in architecture while Ar. Gauri got involved in her further studies and completed her post graduation in Landscape Architecture in 2004. Obtaining sufficient experiences while working with reputed architectural firms, the duo decided to open their own architectural studio 'plan loci' with an inspiration 'to arrange the parts of the pervading spirit of a place'.
plan loci, which stands to find the balance between the tangible and the intangible, believes that each requirement in its context presents a unique solution, the designer acting as a conduit to channelize experiences. The approach is to understand in depth the needs of the client, both said and those left unsaid, while the goal remains to erode the layers of complexity to achieve simplicity in design.
The firm so far has completed many architectural, interior and landscape projects, which are special in their own. The recent one is 'Pixels' - The Digital Studio where the scope was refurbishment of the façade and interiors. And the intent was to highlight the occupation on the built form and add a speck of liveliness on a drab commercial street in New Delhi.
Ole Smith, Heatherwick Studio
Studied at the Aarhus School of Architecture, Denmark, Ole gained his final architectural qualifications in 2003. Whilst studying, he won an international competition to create a master plan for City Related Harbour Areas in Aarhus.
Before joining Heatherwick studio, Ole gained experience at Michael Sorkin, New York, where he worked on a master plan for a 211 acre campus at Chicago University. This was followed by a placement at Asymptote, where his projects included the Guggenheim Centre for Art and Technology and a new commercial space in Wall Street. Following this, Ole returned to his native Denmark where he worked at Aarhus Architects on the design for a 100,000 sqft Centre for Ecology in Herning before moving to London-based RTKL architects and joined the team working on the £70m expansion of Lewisham Hospital.
During his tenure at Heatherwick studio, established by Thomas Heatherwick in 1994 and recognized for its work in architecture, urban infrastructure, sculpture, design and strategic thinking, Ole has worked on the award-winning East Beach Café in Littlehampton, a low-cost housing project in South Africa, the RIBA award-winning Aberystwyth Artists' Studios in Wales and a competition for the redevelopment of Elephant and Castle in London. He also led the design and construction of Heatherwick Studio's current design space in King's Cross, London. Besides, he worked on a boutique hotel tower in Hong Kong and was Project Leader for a high-end residential development in central Kuala Lumpur.
Mind Behind “The Journey”
Mr. Amardeep Behl has been blessed with a unique art of creating experience in space. He is the Director and Chief Visualiser at Design Habit, formerly Oriole Design, which is an outcome of his aspiration to deliver designs that speak of people and space. The Group offers innovative, customized and context specific spatial-communications solutions to design projects like museums, exhibitions, heritage-management, and public spaces. The thrust remains towards defining a contemporary Indian design expression, an idiom strongly rooted in its culture and traditions, yet modern.
Ar. Stephen Roberts Chairman, Bentel Associates
"Architecture is the one fine thread that interlinks society, environment and economy thus affecting lives of people across social strata."
Like most children, Stephen never gave a lot of thought to a "real" career, beyond being famous as either a film or sports star. However, during high school, he took interest in art and technical drawing, and it was this combination that made him choose architecture as a career path.
On leaving high school in 1967, he enrolled in a School of Architecture as a part time student and at the same time began working with a large firm of architects, so his studies went hand-in-hand with practical experience. During studies, he was able to gain much experience on the drawing board, working as a junior team member on a variety of projects between 1967 and 1970, including a new wing for the Imperial College of Science and Technology, and a Naval Base.
He studied architecture at an established facility called the Brixton School of Architecture, which has since then been joined to the South East London Polytechnic. He graduated with a Higher National Certificate in Building, with an Architectural bias. Though he could have pursued full degree, however, another offer that he could not refuse, changed the whole course of his career.
After college, he continued his employment, where he received a request to join the branch office in Botswana, Africa on a two year contract. He saw this as a great opportunity not only to expand his skill set, but also to visit a part of the world that he would have ideally never ventured in to otherwise.
He arrived in Gaborone in September of 1970, where he became only the second staff member of a full complement of two. Being part of such a small team enabled him to jump in the deep end and become responsible not only for design and documentation, but job supervision and administration.
The experience proved to be better than a five year degree course, and he was able to see through the completion of a number of different buildings, including offices, medical suites, university buildings and residential schemes. It was also during this time in Botswana that he met and married his life partner. At the end of the contract he returned to the UK, and was again offered another two year contract overseas, this time in Tanzania.
The office in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) was far more established than that in Gaborone, with a staff complement of more than twenty, including other disciplines, such as structural and MEP engineers. He was placed in a leadership role to take over a number of projects, which were mostly Government funded, and included schools and colleges of education. After Dar es Salaam, his intention was to return to the UK to complete his degree, but again a further opportunity saw him take up residence in Johannesburg, South Africa, where his journey with Bentel Associates began in 1976.
Joining Bentel was also the beginning of his relationship with retail architecture. Bentel was already well established as specialists in this asset class, and he was immediately put in a team working on one of five new hypermarkets throughout the country. These were the first hypermarkets to be established in South Africa, and were developed for a new Retailer, who quickly became one of South Africa's premier retail chains, and it is a relationship with Bentel that still exists, even after forty years. In 1978, he was appointed to lead the Store Planning team, and for the next 28 years the design and development of supermarkets and hypermarkets became his primary focus, along with specialist knowledge of retail architecture in general. During those years Bentel pioneered the design of retails' centres in South Africa, including the first enclosed mall, the first regional centre and the first themed centre. His appointment to the board came in 1988, and subsequently he became the Chairman in 2003.
Stephen opines that architecture is beyond science. An Architect needs to think beyond buildings. His/her vision needs to be not only wider and global but also needs to touch human emotions. 'Architecture is the one fine thread that interlinks society, environment and economy thus affecting lives of people across social strata.'
His Journey in India…
Bentel's relationship with India began in 2003/4, when they were recommended as retail specialists to ICS Group, who were looking to add to their portfolio the design and development of shopping centres. Thus the Joint Venture was established, and the past ten years has seen Bentel become a preferred brand with a number of the top developers in India. Their portfolio has also expanded, both in South Africa and India, to include other asset classes, such as commercial, residential and hospitality projects. He has had the privilege of spending a lot of time in India, visiting all of the major cities, and he admits that a love affair now exists between India and him. India has become like a second home, and he is a great ambassador for the country.
Bentel's reputation in India grew quickly after the completion of its first full scheme, the Oberoi Mall in Mumbai. Following on that success, the architecture firm became involved in large centres in Bangalore, Kolkata, Bhopal and Hyderabad. The portfolio has now grown to include award–winning projects for offices and mixed-use developments. There has also been an expansion into the residential market. The ties between Bentel's office in India and South Africa have grown ever stronger over the years, to the extent that they are now working as one office, complementing the skills of both to create an efficient and experienced team that can offer the client a great value.
Stephen believes that India stands on the threshold of a vast opportunity in the property development market. Whilst the retail sector may currently have slowed down, it is only a matter of time before the boom will happen. In all other sectors, India is in need of more residential, commercial, and hospitality projects, not to mention infra-structure, which has already begun with new airports, roads and inner city metros. He has no doubt that Bentel's prospects in India are huge and hence they intend to use India as a base for further expansion globally. Since their first arrival in India, he has witnessed the property development industry become more discerning and more knowledgeable and more sophisticated with each year that passes, which only bodes well for the future.
The Work culture, people, ethics, and plans are a few impressive qualities he found in India. People are not just skilled, but diligent and hardworking, and display a respect for each other that is not seen anywhere else he has travelled. The diversity of cultures across India makes traveling an exciting and pleasing experience that together make India truly incredible for Stephen.
Ar. Aditya Yamsanvar & Ar. Parish Kapse Partner & Director, Team One Architects
Design philosophy for TOA changes as per the global standards and the market expectations.
Team One Architects is one of the most successful architecture design firms in corporate interiors. The directors of the company Ar. Parish Kapse and Ar. Aditya Yamsanwar have studied and worked overseas for couple of years before establishing Team One nearly over a decade ago. Their international experience brings in the good practice of International standards for Indian customers. Having completed over 20 lakh sq.ft of architectural construction and more than 50 lakh sq.ft of interior work, their growth has been supported by winning awards and also bagging competition projects.
Ar. Parish S Kapse who has completed his Architecture from JJ College of Architecture delivers one-of- a kind ideas to the clients. He is involved in constant alignment of client requirement to the practicality of design development and forming a route for the designs to walk and grow on, thus achieving path - breaking solutions to the most complex architectural problems. Besides this, his aptitude of designing green building and his international exposure enables him to give a vision to the company and also offer innovative solutions to the customers.
Ar Aditya, after completing his architecture from D.Y.Patil College of Architecture, did his masters from University of Arizona. Post to this Aditya worked with companie specializing in pharmaceuticals and corporate industry. Though he belonged to the architecture background as both his father and brother are renowned architects and this was the primary reason for his love for architecture. However, the urge and aspiration to create something one could touch and feel that stands the test of time and is admired by generations has fascinated him to enter into this world. "It is very satisfying to see one's creation take life; your ideas turn into reality" which Ar. Aditya believes is only possible in the world of architecture and design.
The duo sees Architecture as the fabric and reflection of the world and feels that the current advances in construction technology are helping architects push the boundaries of their imagination. "Today, tallest, largest and the most awe dropping projects are conceived all around the world and both governments and private companies understand the value and the brand that a building creates. Hence, expectations from the architects are to push the envelope and it's now more of architecture and engineering marvel."
Ar. Aditya informed that there is no definite design philosophy of TOA but for them it changes as per the global standards and the market expectations. "Our expertise lies in adopting the technology and providing the client with solutions ahead of our times. Creating memorable spaces for clients is our objective. Each of Team One Architects, projects is different and one can notice the change in design style to the kind of materials used."
Adding to this, Ar. Parish said "Team One has been working successfully in corporate interiors for the past 14 years and the next on our wish list is to take the quality of delivery of work at international level and be among the group of architects who are credited for the world's top iconic projects. Projects like these would survive for generations to come and this will bring pride to India and our company."
Reminiscing about the most defining moment, Ar. Parish said, "The day I completed my first project of a million sq.ft, I was feeling on cloud nine. It is the most memorable and special day for me. It took a lot of hardships, discussions, arguments and smiles to see the day. Today, seeing it stand and watching it every day on the drive brings a sense of pride and enhances the belief of why I became an architect."
For a successful life, Ar. Aditya feels that the mantra is 'to keep a right balance of work and personal life which is the first step towards a successful life. Being surrounded by people who are smarter than you is another one. Being humble and ready to learn new things from every cadre of person is another way for successful life.'
Ar. Gaurav Roy Choudhury Principal Architect, GRCA
Redefining architecture through a process of re-invention and storytelling
"Our main aim has always been to articulate various movements that assimilate context, taking the project brief from the 'said' to the 'unsaid," says Ar.Gaurav Roy Choudhury, founder of Gaurav Roy Choudhury Architects (GRCA), a young firm with experience in architecture, interior design, urban design, and housing projects. The practice strives to absorb all domains of influence and exposure, with the hopes of redefining honest architecture through a process of re-invention and storytelling. Its path lies in the understood, and its eyes on the unexplored.
Ar.Gaurav started the practice in 2007 with an idea to keep a balance of dreaming and achieving it. At GRCA, he always looks to strike this balance and create a culture of getting better with each project. He feels that breaking every brief, context into its constituents and then building it back again is important to achieve pragmatic design. "The idea that space narrates feel and experience is the most interesting part of design. And as architects, we can make people feel how we wish them to feel, through space, connect, and context."
He is of the view that Architecture needs to shelve all its ego and fast move towards holistic sensitivity, and benevolence. "The days of emblematic architecture are over. Architecture through space needs to engage and lead to shifts in perception of society. It needs to become more inclusive and universal as a language of metaphysical presence. Architects must resist superficiality and move towards the meaningful and dynamic," he suggests.
At GRCA, Ar.Gaurav follows the design philosophy of expression. He says, "Our growth as an architectural firm is in terms of how we are able to articulate our feelings, nurture our sensitivity to feel more and fuel our inquisitiveness to ask the relevant questions. We are prepared to deal with complexity without simplifying it and would always love to take any project that gives us a challenge."
"For each of the project," he says, "We get the inspirations from society, stories, narratives and also from normal lives. We do not go out looking for inspiration; we try to look for it within, by asking questions.
Further he adds, "Most importantly we believe in working on a limited number of projects at a time for making it more customized and unique." The firm belief of 'less is more' is congruent with the kind of practice it is today.
Giving his views on the mantras of a successful life, he says that the word 'Success' itself is questionable. "To me, it doesn't ever mean money or fame but my peace of mind, my energy, my thoughts and my dialogue with the life I live." He feels success is achieved when one pursues what make him feel happiest and fulfilled.
He recalls his excruciating struggle periods which taught him to believe in doing and made him feel alive and brimming with life. Today, GRCA after being a young firm with very little work, has gained a lot of recognition for the work it had done so far. The firm, under the leadership of Ar. Gaurav, hopes to do better work always and become an expert in creating elegant and welcoming spaces, be it residential, institutional or commercial work space.
Ar. Shailendra Arbole, Founder, enso Architects
Architecture is an Art of articulating spatial volumes.
enso Architects is a young, dynamic and a forward thinking firm, specializing in architecture & interior design. Founded in 2008 by Ar. Shailendra Arbole, the firm believes in being responsible towards ecology and practices sustainable methods in architecture.
After graduating from Siddaganga Institute of Technology, Tumkur, Bangalore University in 2000, Ar. Shailendra joined Chandavarkar and Thacker Architects Pvt, Ltd., (CnT), Bangalore in February 2001 and worked there on different types and sizes of projects till 2004. Later he moved out of CnT and became a part of Mindspace Architects, Bangalore and worked there as senior Architect till june 2008.
With over 8 years of experience in the well-known and design oriented firms, Ar. Shailendra decided to set up his own firm enso (a Japanese word which signifies a circle) Architects with a concept that is strongly associated with 'ZEN' and symbolizes Enlightenment, Strength, Elegance, and moves on further to capture the essence of the Universe, and the Void.
As explained by Ar. Shailendra, 'enso represents a moment when the mind is free to let the body and spirit create'. For him, "Architecture is an art of articulating spatial volumes." Spaces that give the occupants a joy of being in that space at that time.
He firmly believes in sustainable architecture and design. For this, he keeps educating his clients about the green concepts and the importance of preserving the resources. In all his projects, he works with and around nature, by bringing natural light, greenery and breeze into the building. He strives to make each of his projects unique and different by responding to the existing context.
Ar. Shailendra and his firm have been duly recognized for their work and also have number of awards and recognitions to their credit. The firm is looking forward to earn more recognition through its innovative concepts and ideas.
Ar. Anika Mittal Founder and Director mold design studio
"Architecture is a tool to express ourselves and our culture. It is also a reflection of the social, cultural, environmental conditions that unite with aesthetics & function."
Anika Mittal is an Architect and an Urban Designer with over 8 years of experience across all the facets of design and construction industry in India and UK. Graduated from Sushant School of Art & Architecture, New Delhi and MSc in Urban design from The Bartlett, UCL, London, she is currently the founding director of mold design studio, based in New Delhi and founding Partner of Amalgam, a design studio that specializes in using the traditional Indian craft of inlay to redefine the contemporary Indian aesthetic as a blend of convention and modernity.
Her mold design studio is a multi-disciplinary design practice that provide consultancy in the field of Architecture, Urban Design, Interiors, and Product Design. The firm works with the principle of the user being the most significant aspect of any design exercise. Each project is a unique challenge, and hence, a result of an in-depth design process that involves the user and consultants, to create an optimized and dynamic solution. Ar. Anika asserts, "The will to innovate and create enhanced built environments through design, and ensures that it is detailed to perfection is what drives us at mold."
Ar. Anika's design philosophy is that all objects, from large cities, spaces to products can be sculpted and molded, as per the needs and requirements of the users. She explained that we, at mold understand the needs and requirements of our clients, their aspirations, to produce design-led solutions that are specifically personalized to individual needs. Through our projects, we explore and innovate with traditional prototype and blend them with contemporary techniques and technology to conceive pragmatic design that fits well within the global, multi-cultural design agenda, with sustainability as a core, inherent value. mold's approach to every project is utilitarian while being modest with a key emphasis on the establishment of an integral relationship of the Built with nature and context.
She is open to work on any project in any field, be it architecture, interiors, urban design or even product design, as long as the underlying vision of the client is good design. Current projects at her hand include residential, service apartments, recreational and offices across the NCR, Uttarakand & Punjab. Leveraging her past experiences gained as project Architect across a multitude of projects ranging from boutique, residences to commercial complexes and hospitality to master planning projects; Anika is providing comprehensive solutions across all stages of design and construction through mold design studios. For her, "Architecture is a tool to express ourselves and our culture. It is also a reflection of the social, cultural, environmental conditions that unite with aesthetics & function."
She feels that architecture and history together provide a real character to any place/city and thereby entice people to travel and discover. During her growing up years, Ar. Anika through travelling, found architecture exciting and wished to explore more in this domain. Her greatest experiences have always been while travelling around Europe-"These cities breathe architecture. The character of the streets, the history – all make for a great architectural experience."
Anika is also a visiting faculty at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi. She is a keen photographer, and her design and photographic work has been published in journals in India and abroad. She is of the opinion that 'Minimalism' is the real mantra of a successful life.
Ar. Sachin Bandukwala & Ar. Melissa Smith banduksmithstudio
“banduksmithstudio combines a materially sensitive approach to design with respect for the context into which each project is placed. Each celebrates its context through a considered relationship with the physical and social condition of its surroundings.”
Ahmedabad – based banduksmithstudio is an architecture, urban design, and research practice founded by Sachin Bandukwala and Melissa Smith. Their work engages processes of making through research on unique construction methods, both institutionalized and inventive, and built projects that explore the boundaries of material and craft in the context of contemporary Indian construction.
Ar. Bandukwala holds a B.Arch from CEPT University, where in 2003 he completed a research thesis that compared the structure of natural and manmade elements in architecture through the lenses of perception and formation. Before founding the firm, he worked and collaborated as an independent architect in Ahmedabad, and also documented a number of architectural significant temple complexes and stepwells around western India. Throughout his career he has explored the subject of the person and his inspiration from nature. He is perpetually in pursuit of understanding, through primary observation, the ageing of material and its effect on tectonics, and the institutionalization of rituals in architecture.
Ar. Bandukwala entered architecture with an idea that buildings affect our lives, aiming to make them better. His interest was in the possibility of serving for something so basic, yet at the same time so celebrated. His approach to design, like the rest of life, is that “To make something, you have to break something, so make sure you connect it well to your needs, purposes, intentions and celebrations. Try to stay close to the original form of the material as much as possible, so that it may easily return to nature or be adapted for reuse. What you make must have a purpose of beauty and efficiency whether it is a tea cup, a column or a sugar factory.”
The forms and structures that inspire him reflect self-similarity found in different formations in nature—the silhouette of changes that happen on ones' skin, the building forms, in flower blossom and a tree, every jungle that are losing to cities—which address how much better one can make it with steel, concrete, and wood. How little can be built to serve maximum, is the idea.
He sees architecture as a means to appropriate things, ideas, buildings, and cities for the human habitat while responsibly using these resources in harmony with natural and built environment. “This is because architecture is about the changes that we make in our existing situations sometimes purely functional (industries etc.) or sometimes more spiritual (houses, temples, mosques, churches etc). What we make is a derivation of our understanding of the existing past and it is going to affect lives beyond the reach of our time.”
The other partner, Smith, is an architect and urban planner who holds M.Arch and M.C.P. degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a John K. Branner Fellow. She is a continuing visiting faculty member in the Architecture and Planning Faculties at CEPT University. Her research, begun by investigating the incremental, unplanned transformation of aging modernist planned cities, and continued by examining settlement formation in India, follows how inhabitants tend to restructure their built environments over time.
Before moving to India, Ar. Smith worked in architecture firms in Grand Rapids and San Francisco, where she worked on residential and institutional projects. While a graduate student at Berkeley, she was involved in research and documentation of traditional housing in Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhujiajiao, and was part of the design and installation of an exhibition of this work in the Hong Kong Shenzhen Biennale in 2008. She also used a year-long traveling research fellowship to investigate the transformation of aging modernist planned cities through incremental, unplanned alterations, a project that included Chandigarh, Brasilia, New Belgrade, and several other mid-twentieth century cities around Europe and the Middle East.
Ar. Smith pursued architecture as a career because of its location at the nexus of a number of disciplines. An architect, for her, works as an interpreter of the urban and the human condition, one who works in conversation with clients' desires and needs, with agencies' skills and consultants' perspectives, bringing together multiple specialties to create a physical thing…an addition or a transformation to the space that we occupy. What is more, an architect has a specific lens—the optimistic and earthy view of the maker—through which to interpret competing forces of people or nature, that act on our environment. She admires projects that reflect this process of engagement, that look at the building not as an object but as the combination, at a particular point in time, of a series of systems that create it. This also reflects the dynamic state in which buildings exist. They are changed throughout their life by the people who inhabit them and the weather they inhabit.
With these ideas in mind, Ar. Bandukwala and Ar. Smith joined hands to form banduksmithstudio, and work together through their practice, a mode through which they explore these multiple queries at the same time. Their questions are linked by the way they see the world, but the variety of scale, place, material, let them explore the uncharted, discover the unexpected, and surprise themselves with what they make.
banduksmithstudio combines a materially sensitive approach to design with respect to the context into which each project is placed. Each celebrates its context through a considered relationship with the physical and social condition of its surroundings. It looks at design as a series of systems of pieces working together whose addition and combination adds to a whole that works in conjunction with human created, urban or rural networks, and with the natural systems of sun, wind, rain, growth and decay that permeate our lives.
Projects come at any scale, and the practice shifts from furniture and object design, to interiors, renovations, additions, residential, institutional, and commercial architecture. In each, the practice looks at how to transform the existing one through the introduction of the new, attempting to redefine the context and rediscover possibilities.
Ar. Jay Shah Director, Access Architects
"To be innovative in our designs and design processes looking beyond the set norms. The future of architecture lies solely in innovation and the better use of technology."
Ar. Jay Shah grew up travelling to various places in India and abroad with a varying and rich cultural history. He recognized a part of him that was sensitively aware of the effect that great buildings had on the people within them. The internal optimist in him believes that great architecture helps enrich the soul.
He is a dynamic young man whose interests lay in architecture since his early years. He studied Advanced Architectural Design from Columbia University in New York City under the tutelage of architects such as Steven Holl, Bernard Tschumi and Kenneth Frampton. One of the reasons Jay chose to attend Graduate School, was to be exposed to the cutting edge Design and Technology. He recalled that during the orientation, the Dean said, "This is not design studio, this is a design laboratory." The goal is to 'realize' the future of design. The Software being used in movie studios and architectural offices today was partly developed in his college, Columbia University, in the 1990s.
In his endeavor to have the same research mindset to continually design better buildings, Ar. Jay Shah keeps thinking and innovating new designs. After completing his studies, he joined Access Architects which was established in 1981 by his father Ar. Atul Shah, with a focus in creating a new style for every design and transforming the ones that are alreadyexisting. The firm has evolved into a design studio that believes in innovation and modernization while keeping the traditional principles of design intact and Jay feels that this is the right place to bring his ideas into reality.
He believes in Looking Beyond where every effort is made for continuous improvement to ensure that clients receive cutting edge innovation, design and implementation. He works closely with clients to develop initial concepts that complement their overall strategy. He is an innovative architect who draws inspiration not only from his travels to different places around the world but also from the daily surroundings that he lives in.
He is a huge believer in using technology that allows in analyzing, designing, and visualizing buildings.
One of the things that he learnt to aide his creative process is parametric design - which allows one to design their own tools through computer coding. Moreover, this enables one to harness unlimited potential of computing, not relying on frameworks of software available today. He believes that the future of architecture lies solely in innovation and the better use of technology.
Apart from these, he believes in the "four a.m. miracle" and explains it as "an unexplainable and unusual event that happens around 4 a.m. where sleep deprivation erodes your internal censors and allows you to come out of yourself and create something amazing. When you spend enough time designing something, the mind tends to merge the left brain – right brain thinking. And then you're able to use the left and right brain at the same time, which sometimes leads to Eureka moments in design."
The reason, he enjoys designing buildings in a city like Mumbai, is because no matter how many one builds, the next one is always a new challenge. Commercial buildings, for example, don't allow a lot of freedom to express creativity when it comes to designing. There are a huge number of municipal guidelines, developer requirements, and general structural stipulations that need to be adhered to when an architect designs this kind of a structure. But what is more important is that even with all these parameters and challenges, if one is still able to create a building that has an eclectic and admiral value, then the goal has been achieved.
Access Architects believes in India-inspired designs hence they design and execute structures that are constructed keeping Indian culture, climate, and surroundings in mind. The firm has its own in-house research cell 'Derive' that focuses on how to innovate while designing buildings and help achieve economies in costing with an efficient utilization of natural resources besides being environmental–friendly, without compromising on utility. Presently, Derive has been working on a research project that is very close to Jay's heart – Affordable Housing. For three and half years, the research that has been done for this has been used by Jay to conceptualize a design that investigates various means and ways to deliver an apartment to a client that is not only profitable and valuable to them, but also viable for developers to build without special government support.
Ar. Jay firmly believes that no one expects to live forever but hopes to be a part of future. For this he tries his best to incorporate his aspiration into every design, he creates.
Ar. Amit Khanna, Founder & Design Principal, AKDA
'Architecture is not really a profession to me but it is a manner of experiencing life,' shares Ar. Amit Khanna, the Founder & Design Principal at AKDA (Amit Khanna Design Associates) - a design firm that integrates the disciplines of architecture, interior design, furniture, lighting and product design.
Fascinated by one of his parent's friend's life who was an architect by profession and with whom he spent his childhood in Kenya, Ar Amit always wanted to be an architect what seemed to him at that time, an interesting life and which later also proved to be very interesting to him indeed. After graduating from the School of Planning & Architecture, New Delhi in 2002, he established his own design studio AKDA in 2004 and heads the same, combining day-to-day involvement in design with his primary responsibilities for the strategic direction of the practice.
He loves building things and unlike some of the more theoretical practitioners today, he derives most of his joy from the actual process of construction. He is of the opinion that 50% of the world's population now lives in urban areas, putting incredible pressures on resources. "Sustainable Urban development and mitigating climate change are going to be the key challenges of the current generation and this must reflect in our individual decisions about design, architecture, and the way we choose to build."
His design philosophy is 'to make regional specificity and sustainability intrinsic to the design process and product.' Every object produced at the studio, be it a 60,000SF office building or a 0.5sf light fixture, undergoes the same scrutiny of process and exactitude – A process that is founded in suitable materiality and innovation, irrespective of appearance. "In the quest for absolute quality, we follow a unique system of design development, wherein we allow ourselves to learn and imbibe from the skills and experience of people who actually craft the buildings and objects that we design. Their early involvement acknowledges them as equal stakeholders in the process, and allows us as a studio to better predict construction outcomes and quality control," explains Ar. Amit.
He apprises, "Each project has its own challenges and site forces. It is that unique combination that allows us to invent customized solutions for each project. We try not to look at others, or even our own earlier projects for inspiration, but allow the design process to unfold." Currently, Ar. Amit is working on some institutional projects that embody several Low Carbon and Energy Efficiency strategies to create a building that will be able to generate most of its energy needs on-site. "All buildings will have to become resilient and dynamic enough to supply their own energy needs." After travelling to many architectural masterpieces over the years, he realized that none has left a more memorable impression on his mind than the Kimbell Art Museum at Fort Worth which is one of Kahn's finest buildings and certainly one of the finest buildings of the 20th century.
Ar Amit is a recipient of the Moira Barrie Award (UK) & holds a Kellogg Scholarship at the University of Oxford. As a student, he won a national design competition for the concept of a Highway Resort, 2000 (ArchiDesign Perspective). He was chosen as one of the only five architects among 20 designers in India under the age of 35 to exhibit his work in February 2013 (DxD, Alliance Francaise), selected as one of the Young Designers of 2013 and one of the Superstars of Design in 2014, besides he got shortlisted as one of the top 50 emerging architects in the country (iGen, Mumbai).
Apart from these, Ar. Amit serves as a teacher at his alma mater, the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi with diverse responsibilities related to design, research and theoretical exploration. Through his initiatives in education, he engages in research as a tool for design innovation to craft buildings that work with the local environment, both at the school and the studio. Moreover, apart from being an acclaimed photographer, he writes extensively for both online and offline media. For him, mantra of a successful life is: Eat plenty of chocolate and do what you love every day.
