Matra architects and rurban planners

DESIGN ETHOS Main focus of work is on context sensitive architecture that does integrate material and logic of construction, in search of archetypal form. The anatomy of building is trans-cultural and references are drawn from global archive, which are not necessarily contemporary. The tedious process of dialogue with the team does start from the unknown and leads to the known. In dialogue the design process turns into an act of the moment, without considering any architectural “style”. The form does not happen suddenly, but is more of a process of becoming more conscious of your inner-self, a process of emptying out the answers that always live within you. Finding the germinating idea is a very slow exercise and is generally pursued through sketches and models. Finally the context may be absorbed by the building like a sponge and may enter gradually the public memory. The studio was established in 1990 in New Delhi with 2 partners, namely Sunita Kandhari & Verendra Wakhloo who had earlier worked between 1985 - 87 at Ahmedabad in Studio Sangath of Mr. B.V. Doshi and 1987-90 at Studio M.N. Ashish Ganju, New Delhi. For last three decades the architectural activities of the studio have been ranging from institutional to industrial and private residences, mostly built in the northern part of India. The formative years were influenced by the masters of Indian modernism, i.e. Charles Correa, B.V. Doshi in search for an Indian identity. HUDCO Commendation Award 1990 (urban resettlement in Delhi) GEDA Prize 1991 (campus design at Baroda), J.K. Awards 1997(housing in urban context), President’s Award 2000 (residential schools in New Tehri Town in association with DKS consultants), MGAHV Commendation Award 2002 (Mahatma Gandhi University Warda, campus design), A+D/Spectrum 2002 (commendation award interiors), WAF 2008 Barcelona (shortlisted), IIA Award 2009 (office for Everest Industries Ltd.), WAC Award 2010, WAF 2013 Singapore (shortlisted), AD- 50 Award 2016, Trends Excellence Awards 2015 (Jury Award for best project).