Community and Pro-Bono Architectural Work
Architecture is a conversation with the city. We believe our design practice holds a responsibility to engage with public spaces, social needs, and the preservation of our shared heritage.
This is our unbuilt, pro-bono proposal for the expansion and conservation of Russell Market, a historic 1927 landmark in Bengaluru. The design imagines a new, light-filled public space with a glass roof that respects the old structure while accommodating modern needs.
A rendering of a proposed rooftop restaurant as part of our conceptual design for the Russell Market upgrade. The design aimed to create new public amenities and commercial spaces to ensure the market's continued vitality.
Our proposal for a new, modern meat and fish market on the upper floors of the reimagined Russell Market. The design features clean, hygienic surfaces and large windows to create a bright and pleasant environment.
The interior of the 'Wonder on Wheels' bus, a pro-bono project we assisted with to create a mobile classroom. We designed a flexible interior with modular furniture to provide a safe and engaging learning environment for children of daily laborers.
A detail of the carpet installation inside the 'Wonder on Wheels' mobile classroom. Even in a small-scale, pro-bono project, we believe in the importance of craftsmanship and creating a quality environment.
The team at work inside the 'Wonder on Wheels' bus, installing a whiteboard. This project was a collaborative effort to bring educational resources directly to underserved communities in Bengaluru.
A conceptual drawing for our competition entry to redevelop Minto Hall in Bhopal as a convention center. The design proposed a new sculptural form inserted within the historic structure, creating a dialogue between old and new.
About Community & Pro-Bono Work
When we take on pro-bono or community projects, we treat them with the same rigour as our private commissions. Whether it is transforming a bus into a mobile classroom or reimagining a 1920s heritage market, the focus remains on listening to the site and the people who will actually use it, rather than imposing a specific aesthetic.
For us, design is not just about private commissions. It is about how we participate in the city. The Russell Market proposal, for instance, was an exercise in understanding how a 1927 structure can continue to serve the public without losing its soul. We looked at adding a glass roof for light and ventilation while keeping the original structure intact.
Similarly, the 'Wonder on Wheels' project was about stripping design down to its absolute essentials to create a functional, mobile classroom for children. These projects teach us more than our commercial work because they force us to solve complex social problems with minimal resources. We bring this same rigour to our heritage conservation efforts, like our proposal for the Minto Hall in Bhopal, where we explored the dialogue between 21st-century needs and historical memory. In every instance, our goal is to create buildings that are not just containers for activity, but are meaningful destinations that engage with their urban context.
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