Total - Environment

We are based in Bangalore and spend most of our time thinking about how to build things differently. It started with a small team wanting to make houses that actually felt like homes, not just concrete boxes. The traffic in this city can be a nightmare, so we try to make our spaces feel like a bit of a break from all that noise. We use a lot of natural materials like wood and stone, and we like to keep the trees where they are whenever we can. It’s a lot of work coordinating all the different parts of a project, and things don't always go perfectly to plan, but we stick with it until it's done. Our office is usually full of drawings and samples scattered around. We aren't really about the corporate ladder or wearing suits; we just like getting our hands dirty on the site and seeing things come together. Bangalore has changed so much since we began, but we still feel like a local outfit at heart. We have a lot of people working with us now, from designers to the guys on the ground, and everyone just mucks in. It’s a busy life here, but seeing someone move into a space we made makes the long hours worth it. We don't do much advertising; we mostly just let the buildings speak for themselves. It’s about the work, not the polish.