Field Architects, Ladakh, Ahmedabad
Faiza Khan, Suril Patel
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Project in focus: A residential project in Ladakh designed with a contemporary aesthetic, utilizing locally sourced materials. This earthen house’s design revolves around the core factors of passive solar heating (PSH) and contemporary Ladakhi planning. It is designed to stay warm in winter (without additional heating) and cool in summer (through cross ventilation) and provide running water throughout the year, which is rare in Ladakh.
Upcoming projects: A studio apartment with a private office designed as an iconic pavilion in timber in Leh; a private residence with earthen and solar heated techniques in Nubra.
Material you’re obsessed with: Locally sourced wood
Philosophy: “A travelling architecture practice shaped around hands-on collaborations. We deconstruct indigenous built forms, traditional artisanship and formal geometry.”
Palinda Kannangara Architects, Sri Lanka
Palinda Kannangara
Project in focus: “Horizon”, a private house perched on the cliffs of the coastal area overlooking the picturesque Hiriketiya Bay in Sri Lanka. It breaks away from the traditional concept of a unified dwelling by completely separating the individual spaces from the common areas. The most striking feature is the concrete structure supported by columns and framed by glass, which seamlessly blends with the sea’s horizon.
Upcoming projects: A studio home for the founder of the Sambol Foundation in Sri Lanka; a “non-showroom” for the furniture brand Phantom Hands in Bengaluru.
Material you’re obsessed with: Whatever is readily available and suits the context.
Philosophy: “To respect the environment and available resources, build simply but impactfully.”
Kunal Shah, Mumbai
Kunal Shah
Project in focus: Remodelling of a 15-year-old cottage in Alibag with the addition of a pool and garden. All the debris generated was used to create levels on site and avoid any landfills. The garden was designed by landscape architect Hemali Samant as a wild tropical jungle. The lap pool has been lined in kadappa stone to look like natural waterbody. Additionally, the floor tiles have been baked in a bread kiln in Goa.
Upcoming projects: A house in Alibag; restoration of a colonial cottage in the Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu; restoration of a brownstone flat in Mumbai.
Material you’re obsessed with: Wastage or offcuts of marble and marble slurry.
Philosophy: “Authenticity, timelessness, simplicity and effortlessness, not to be confused with minimalism.”
SJK Architects, Mumbai
Shimul Javeri Kadri, Vaishali Shankar, Sarika Shetty, Roshni Kshirsagar
Project in focus: A private residence in Nagpur where temperatures can soar above 40 degrees Celsius in summer. The climate-responsive vernacular architecture of the havelis of North India—with communal courtyards (chowks), projecting balconies (jharokhas), and intricate brick or stone lattice screens (jalis)—along with the timber-based wadas, residential architecture more predominant in Maharashtra, served as inspirations for the design of the house.
Upcoming projects: A hotel in Hampi, Karnataka; SR University in Warangal, Telangana; JSW Nursing College in Dolvi, near Alibaug.
Material you’re obsessed with: Natural stones
Philosophy: “We design spaces for a rapidly urbanizing India, meticulously crafted from a study of climate, culture, history and technology—each unique to the place and its people.”
sP+a, Mumbai
Sameep Padora, Aparna Dhareshwar, Vami Koticha
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Project in focus: Zama Villas is a housing project comprising 14 homes on a 1.2-acre site in Anjuna, Goa. While single-family group housing typologies typically follow the suburban house format, with a series of homes laid out in a gridded street arrangement, Zama Villas (within Zama Village) rethinks this typology by creating a variety of house forms structured around a common open space, with a curving public street running through the middle. The shared living spaces in each home—such as the living and dining areas—open onto the street, fostering interaction between residents. The design incorporates the concept of the threshold, referencing the vernacular Goan balcao (entrance veranda), to enhance the communal experience.
Two projects from the past year: Hampi Art Labs, Karnataka, and Icon Initiative 99, a global competition which called upon students, designers, and architects to help address the global housing crisis by designing homes using 3D-printed construction technology.
Current and upcoming projects: A diverse range of master planning and architectural projects. These include the design of a high-performance center for a prestigious cricket league team, educational institutional campuses, and several township developments and gated communities. Additionally, the firm is designing a bespoke cliff side hospitality project in Goa, and a temple on the banks of the River Ganges.
Current material obsession: Reclaimed concrete and upcycled concrete blocks.
Philosophy: “Our practice questions the nostalgia involved with the static ‘museumification’ of craft and tradition as well as the nature of what today comprises the ‘regional’ in contexts amplified by their place in global and regional networks.”
Wallmakers, Kochi
Vinu Daniel
Project in focus: Situated in North Kerala, this circular home, aptly named Toy Storey, is a project that serves as an homage to childhood memories and nostalgia. The 3,843-square-foot residence features an encircling “toy jali” wall that displays over 6,000 discarded toys within its niches. The project was designed to be a “house within a house”, where the community can always access the large veranda, while the residential area is secluded through the use of Japanese shoji screens.
Upcoming Projects: Educational, cultural, and hospitality projects across India
Materials you’re obsessed with: Equally obsessed with all materials
Philosophy: “Try to make thoughtful material and construction choices to minimize the projects' embodied energy and minimize our impact on the natural environment. Building a home, or any space for that matter, should not be at the cost of destroying nature.”
Andagere Architects, Gollarapalya
Ajith Andagere
Project in focus: In Kannada, Malenadu refers to a hilly region in Karnataka where a unique culture persists even today. This contemporary Malenadu house stands as a remarkable bridge between the past and the present. Inspired by the verses of renowned Kannada poet Kuvempu, it is a living homage to the rich, cultural tapestry of Karnataka. It infuses familiarity with the use of materials like local wood, mud bricks and lime plaster.
Upcoming projects: A wellness project in the Himalayas, working closely with local craftsmen; a luxury wattle and daub studio cottage in Goa.
Material you’re obsessed with: Natural fibres
Philosophy: “Our practice has shaped immensely from this beautiful quote by Octavio Paz: ‘To be truly modern, we must first reconcile ourselves with our traditions."
Also read: Palinda Kannangara turns this 5-storey house in Colombo into a calming oasis
Also read: How Ajith Andagere’s Samrakshan India restored a 150-year-old ancestral home in Karnataka
Also read: 2 installations from Indian designers steal hearts at Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2023
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