Architects are collaborating with manufacturers much earlier, asking not only what a material can do, but what it can enable them to design.
Keshav Bhajanka, Executive Director, CenturyPly
Over the last few years, the relationship between architects and manufacturers has changed significantly. Earlier, manufacturers typically entered the conversation near the end of the design process, once most decisions had been finalised and the requirement was largely to supply what had already been specified. Today, architects are involving manufacturers much earlier, asking not only what a material can do, but what it can enable them to design.This shift is being driven by the fact that performance and aesthetics are no longer separate conversations. Architects want materials that look good while also delivering durability, weather resistance, UV stability, and long-term performance, especially in exterior applications. As construction becomes more demanding and projects respond to varied Indian conditions, manufacturers are increasingly expected to help solve design and performance challenges together.
Local manufacturing has become an important part of this change. A project in coastal Goa does not face the same conditions as one in Delhi or Bengaluru. Temperature, humidity, installation realities, and usage patterns all affect how a material performs. Products therefore need to be engineered with Indian conditions in mind, rather than merely adapted from other markets.
Our experience with New Age Products through Century Composites reinforced this. We initially imported products to understand the market and validate the opportunity, but that also highlighted the limitations of an import-led model. Supply reliability, application support and quicker feedback from architects, builders and fabricators are critical in large, project-driven applications. This is why building manufacturing capability closer to the market matters.
It is becoming increasingly important for product / material manufacturers to understand how the product or material will perform in the real world, what architects are trying to achieve, what builders need, and what fabricators face on site.Keshav Bhajanka
Innovation is also expanding what architects believe they can design. In exterior décor and façade applications, there is growing interest in lightweight solutions, contemporary finishes and natural textures that retain their visual appeal over time. At the same time, architects are asking harder questions about weather resistance, colour retention and maintenance. A lightweight material with the right performance characteristics can open up applications where weight, installation complexity or upkeep may earlier have been constraints.
When manufacturers develop products and surface technologies in this space, they are not simply adding another item to a catalogue. They are expanding the palette available to designers. Once architects understand what a material can actually do, it becomes part of the concept rather than something to be figured out after the concept is complete.
There is also a change in how projects are evaluated. The question is moving from “What does this cost?” to “What will this cost over the life of the building?” A material that needs frequent maintenance or replacement can have a very different real cost from one that delivers consistent performance with minimal intervention over time.
This is where New Age Products become increasingly relevant. Lower susceptibility to moisture ingress, swelling and termite damage can mean fewer interventions across the lifecycle of a building. The sustainability conversation also becomes broader: it is not only about what goes into a material at the point of manufacture, but how long it lasts and how often it needs to be replaced.
For manufacturers, this changes the role we play. We cannot see our responsibility as simply making a product and supplying it once the specification is finalised. We have to understand how the product performs in the real world, what architects are trying to achieve, what builders need and what fabricators face on site.
Our engagement with architects, therefore, has to begin before a specification is locked. It must help them understand technical characteristics, appropriate applications and performance expectations, while ensuring feedback from projects travels back into product development.
Ultimately, manufacturers influence design not through marketing, but by being useful at the point when design decisions are being made. If we can understand local conditions, solve performance challenges, expand design possibilities and provide credible lifecycle information, we become part of the design conversation much earlier.
That, to me, is where manufacturing is headed. We are not just supplying what has already been designed. Increasingly, we are helping architects understand what can be designed in the first place.
