A UNIQUE DESIGN LANGUAGE
In conversation with Sandeep Khosla and Amaresh Anand, brains behind the prolific architectural firm Khosla Associates in Bangalore
Bangalore-based Khosla Associates share their thoughts about design, interiors, architecture and their journey
There is something about a Khosla Associates design that makes you stop and take notice. Maybe it’s the way it seamlessly interacts with its surroundings, or the fact that it is a melting pot of vernacular and contemporary architecture, or perhaps because a building is viewed as more than just the sum of its parts. The Principal Architect, Sandeep Khosla studied architecture at Pratt Institute, New York. Upon returning to India he worked as an associate with architect Charles Correa in Mumbai before establishing his eponymous firm in 1995. In 2000 he was joined by Amaresh Anand, a graduate of BMSCE College Bangalore, who is currently a director at the firm. The duo have a large body of work ranging from private residences and corporate offices to retail and hospitality spaces; their work has won them 14 national awards.
Your design philosophy
Sandeep Khosla (SK) We are contextualists who believe that architecture should be rooted in one’s environment and to a particular site. While we work with an international style, we draw inspiration from traditional concepts, craft as well as local material. There is a certain romanticism to our work, which references the old and has a hint of nostalgia while being innovative. We look at design holistically, often blurring the boundaries between the disciplines of architecture, interior design, landscape, furniture and lighting.
Is it important to be sustainable? Amaresh Anand (AA) Sustainability is important. It is our moral responsibility to ensure as architects that our buildings have minimum impact on the environment. We are constantly striving to innovate and make our projects more energy efficient by using renewable materials, adopting water conservation systems and solar power. We also try to live by example and our own homes are also designed to be completely sustainable.
What would you rather create an iconic design or a relevant one? (SK) The time has come in architecture to create buildings that are truly relevant and not just iconic. Advanced software has enabled us to create buildings in any possible shape—that
doesn’t mean we have to. Concerns of buildings should be driven by the need (social, economic, cultural, environmental and local) rather than only an image. The visual outcome of architecture can be a thought provoking result of these concerns. I feel that great architecture should be created from the inside out, not the other way around. It should never be driven by the designer’s ego. However, if a design can genuinely address the concerns of our time and still be iconic, then it has fulfilled all parameters.
Current projects
(AA) Currently we are working on several interesting and varied projects. A school in Coimbatore, a 40-acre villa development in Chattisgarh, a high rise hotel expansion for Park Hotels in Visakapatnam, office interiors for investment firm Westbridge Capital, an Asian restaurant in an old colonial house and the office for a FM radio station in Calicut to name a few. Of course, we continue with our residential projects across the country.
Is urban design at odds with its environment?
(SK) In India, it sadly is. Our cities desperately need to decongest, but rather than develop our public infrastructure rapidly, the priority still seems to be to cater to individual car owners. Urban life is getting more and more insular, with mall culture and gated communities taking precedence over public spaces, parks, streets and pavements. We lack cultural institutions in our urban environment to balance the burgeoning retail scene.
AT www.khoslaassociates.com