10 Inspiring Sustainable Architecture Firms in India (2024)

The need for sustainable architecture firms is increasing owing to the plummeting global environmental conditions. Most AEC (Architecture, Engineering and Construction) firms today are moving towards sustainability, in conjunction with technology to define the future of the industry.

Among the sustainable architecture firms in India, the ones worth exploring for career opportunities are those with a strong sense of architectural contextualisation and social responsibility, and do not refrain from adopting new technology with the excuse of ‘going back to the roots’.

In this blog, we will have a look at a curated list of 10 sustainable architecture firms in India. But before we dive into the blog’s topic, let’s understand the meaning of Sustainable Architecture in brief.

What is Sustainable Architecture?

Sustainable architecture defines a building or structure, designed and built to significantly reduce the damages inflicted on the environment and ensure that the structures generate minimal harmful effects on the ecosystem and communities. Also known as green architecture, these buildings use substantially less energy and water, and it's built using fewer chemically toxic materials. 

Green Architects of India

Architects responsible for designing and making sustainable and energy-efficient buildings and structures are known as Green Architects. Let’s have a look at 5 such Green Architects of India:

1. Gopal Shankar

Gopal Shankar, a Padma Shri awardee for three decades, leads sustainable architecture in India through his Habitat Technology Group. Dedicated to eco-friendly, community-driven solutions, he's constructed nearly 1 million mass housing units and over 100,000 green buildings across five countries. Despite challenges, Shankar relentlessly champions sustainable architecture, overcoming obstacles with determination.

2. Ashok B Lall

Architect Ashok B Lall, with over 45 years of experience, is renowned for his blend of architecture and sustainability in India. He contributes significantly to architectural curricula development and national professional journals. As a member of various professional bodies, he advocates for sustainable architecture. Lall has led initiatives such as the Delhi Urban Arts Commission Workgroup on Energy and coordinated EU-funded programs for low-energy architecture development.

3. Samhita Venkaatesh

Samhita Venkaatesh, founder and Managing Director of Ela Green Buildings, is a strong advocate for sustainable practices. With over 15 years of experience, she specialises in designing and implementing green building projects, holding certifications as a Certified ECBC Master Trainer and IGBC AP. She has trained over 8000 professionals and consulted on more than 300 green building projects. Additionally, she established Ela Green School in 2018 in Chennai, focusing on instilling sustainability values in children, now serving over 250 students as an authorised IB school.

4. Sangeet Sharma

Sangeet Sharma, a practising architect in Chandigarh, is a partner at SD Sharma & Associates, founded by his father, Ar. SD Sharma. With 35 years of experience, he carries forward his father's legacy, focusing on geometrical forms and sustainable applications in his designs. Sharma is a Qualified GRIHA Evaluator, a Member of the Council of Architecture, and a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA).

5. Punit Sethi

With over three decades of experience, Punit Sethi is committed to architecture, emphasising collaborative design processes to maintain project vision from concept to implementation. A graduate of SPA New Delhi, he's a multifaceted individual, engaging in architectural journalism and teaching at various colleges. As founder partner of Vastuki Consultants and Director of Vastuki Consultants Pvt. Ltd., he has designed and executed diverse projects, winning architectural competitions. Sethi is a Registered Architect with COA India, the Institution of Valuers, and a Fellow Member of the Indian Institute of Architects and Institute of Town Planners India.

Read more: 10 Gravity-Defying Structures That Will Leave You Awestruck

Now, let’s have a look at our curated list of 10 Sustainable Architecture Firms in India. 

1. Biome Environmental Solutions

Founder: Chitra Vishwanath & Rainwater Club

Location: Bengaluru

The two firms are also at the forefront of spreading awareness about sustainable design practices in India through the Biome Environmental Trust, which facilitates their participation in many non-profit projects. Biome Environmental Solutions welcomes students, graduates and professionals who show a keenness towards sustainability and an eagerness to learn.

Biome is one of the most successful architecture firms in India founded by a woman. Wish to know about more female-led firms? Read our blog - Boss Women: Get Inspired By These 10 Celebrated Female Designers in India.

2. Made in Earth

Founder: Shruthi Ramakrishna, Ajinkya Unhale, Jeremie Gaudin and Agnimitra Bachi

Location: Bengaluru

The founders of this firm pursued various academic and professional paths before coming together to found Made in Earth, which has now grown to become a sustainable architecture firm that is on every young architect’s radar. The firm’s love for Mother Earth defines their design philosophy, which brings the built environment, nature, and people together through the sensitive use of sustainable building materials, mainly clay and lime.

Their project portfolio comprises beautiful residences, college campuses, restaurants and offices spread across southern India. If you wish to work in a team of young innovators who share the same passion as you for the environment, this is the place for you!

3. Ashok B. Lall Architects

Founder: Ashok B. Lall

Location: New Delhi

Built on the foundation of environmentally ethical architectural practices, Ashok B. Lall Architects is one of the most well-known sustainable architecture firms in India. They believe that the architecture of today must address social inequity and environmental impact. Their design process is highly inclusive, with clients, consultants, and user groups being equal stakeholders in decision-making. However, preference is always given to design strategies and technologies that are in favour of sustainability and energy conservation. This is also what makes it one of the few architecture firms in India leading the way for BIM (Building Information Modelling) technology.

The firm has received several accolades for its socially responsible approach and outcomes. The founder, Ashok B. Lall, has also been engaging in teaching, building curricula and developing teaching methodologies in architecture schools.

Want to know how you can build a career in sustainable architecture? Watch this video!

4. Masons Ink

Founder: Rosie Paul, Sridevi Changali

Location: Bengaluru

Yet another female-led architecture firm, Masons Ink Studio in Bangalore specialises in sustainability, heritage conservation and social architecture. Rosie Paul and Sridevi Changali started this design studio with the philosophy of the ‘three H’s’ – hands, heart and humans – and centre all their projects around it. Their aim is to make sustainable design accessible to all and reach zero-carbon footprint in their projects through research and development.

As their name suggests, masons and every other individual involved in shaping the built form are earnestly valued at this firm. Their projects consist mainly of residences and cultural spaces, making it a perfect place to work and gain experience for anyone interested in sustainable residential design.

5. Morphogenesis

Founder: Sonali and Manit Rastogi

Location: New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru

Morphogenesis needs no introduction!

This award-winning architecture company in India, with offices in the nation’s three busiest cities, presents itself in all the lists related to architecture firms in India. They have a unique, copyrighted design process, ‘SOUL’, which aims at making spaces Sustainable, Optimised, Unique and Livable.

Interesting fact: Morphogenesis is the only architecture firm on the WA100 list to have successfully closed the gender pay gap! They are also one of the top firms in India leading the way for BIM technology. This shows how invested the firm is in both ethical practices and innovation, which making it ideal for an architecture internship in India!

6. Zero Energy Design Lab

Founder: Sachin Rastogi

Location: New Delhi

Net-zero building design is the primary goal of Zero Energy Design Lab. This sustainable architecture firm has won several awards for its efforts in creating energy-efficient a sustainable buildings.

This firm is perfect for anyone who wishes to build a future-forward, environmentally-conscious structure without compromising on style, functionality, or comfort.

 Read more : Decoding Design Philosophies: How Do These Famous Architects Think?

7. Footprints E.A.R.T.H

Founder: Yatin Pandya

Location: Ahmedabad

Footprints E.A.R.T.H is a pioneering sustainable architecture firm in India built on the design philosophy of the famous green architect Yatin Pandya, who has also authored insightful books on cultural architecture such as Concepts of Space in Traditional Indian Architecture. The firm deeply values socio-cultural appropriateness and critical regionalism. With sustainability at the core, their projects range from city planning, urban design, and mass housing, to architectural conservation.

At Footprints E.A.R.T.H main source of inspiration for sustainable solutions stems from the rich history of Indian vernacular architecture, which has been tried and tested and offers a strong foundation to build over.

8. Mosaic Design

Founder: Dean D’cruz

Location: Goa

One of the most popular architecture firms in Goa, Mosaic Design is a product and architectural design firm encouraging sustainable practices in both its verticals. A recipient of multiple awards for climate-responsive architecture and environmental initiatives, the firm specialises in boutique hotels and large-scale resorts as tourism is one of the biggest industries in the region.

The founder, Dean D’cruz authored the popular book Houses of Goa and often works with architecture schools in India to set curriculums for teaching environmental and social issues. Well, if you decide to work here, you’ll find that Goa has more to offer than just its beautiful beaches!

9. Stapati

Founder: Tony Joseph

Location: Calicut, Kochi, Bengaluru

An architecture practice established by Tony Joseph, Stapati has managed to set up successful offices operating in Bangalore, Kochi and Calicut. As a multidisciplinary sustainable architecture firm, it places deep emphasis on innovation, sensitive understanding of the context, and regional building techniques enhanced with modern solutions. Boasting an extremely diverse project portfolio ranging from master planning to interior design projects, it is perfect for those who wish to experience and understand regionalism in modern architecture.

Over the years, Stapati has managed to build a reputation for its unique and innovative hospitality projects, making it a perfect place for someone who wants to explore eco-friendly, regional hospitality architecture.

10. Auroma Group

Founder: Trupti Doshi & Viral Doshi

Location: Pondicherry

Founded by a brother-sister duo, Auroma Group consists of an award-winning team of international experts. Their design philosophy is built on five pillars – people, planet, prosperity, place and progress. Sustainability engineers, furniture designers, and eco-sensitive architects work together to bring the projects to fruition. Their portfolio includes eco-villages, luxury resorts, private residences, and educational institutions.

Conclusion

With climate action being the need of the hour, these firms are working hard to push for sustainable practices and setting an example for the rest of us architects to follow.

Sustainable architecture as a skill and a popular architecture trend is also growing in demand as more and more firms are opting to hire or consult with trained sustainability experts for their projects. This means you have a high scope for building a career in this interdisciplinary field.

So, if you have already decided to embark on this path, good for you! And if you haven’t, that’s okay too. You can still play your part in bettering the built environment indirectly by specialising in lateral skills like computational design or BIM (Building Information Modelling), which aid the development of sustainable building design.

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