Institutional & Cultural Architectural Design
Available across India
We design institutional and cultural buildings that fit their site, use local materials, adapt to changing needs, and bring heritage spaces back to life.
Pricing Guide
Historic Restoration & Gallery Architecture
Core Restoration Services
- Historical Audit: Analysis of existing history and material palette (stone, wood, lime) to align interventions with original spatial sensibilities.
- Structural Retrofitting: Design of surgical interventions to strengthen old buildings, such as inserting steel beams within timber structures.
- Subterranean Planning: Design for underground galleries or storage to expand floor space without altering the historic skyline.
- Circulation Design: Creation of fluid thresholds and pathways optimized for visitor flow and art viewing.
Advanced Design Specs
- Scale Modeling: Creation of handcrafted Balsa wood scale models (1:100 to 1:20) to test spatial volumes and light ingress.
- Artisan Collaboration: Coordination with artists and craftspeople for custom elements like cast railings or scrap metal Jaalis.
- Lighting Integration: Strategic design of skylights and artificial lighting layouts for humidity control and artwork preservation.
- Material Conservation: Specifications for restoring original materials like teak trusses and basalt stone alongside modern finishes.
Project Execution
- MEP Integration: Concealing modern climate control (HVAC) and security systems within heritage shells.
- Site Supervision: Periodic oversight to ensure construction craftsmanship meets the specific heritage design intent.
Greenfield Institutional & Campus Architecture
Master Planning
- Armature Concept: Flexible infrastructure design allowing building functions like classrooms or labs to evolve over decades.
- Campus Interface: Planning of pedestrian ramps, landscapes, and social courtyards to connect new structures with the wider campus.
- Climate Analysis: Sun-path and wind analysis to design passive cooling systems and optimize courtyard orientation.
Facade & Structure
- Concrete Detailing: High-precision formwork drawings for fair-faced exposed concrete finishes requiring no external plaster.
- Custom Shading: Design of dynamic shading devices using terracotta, corten steel, or zinc louvers for heat reduction.
- Integrated Structure: Dual-purpose engineering where elements like library bookshelves also support roof or mezzanine loads.
- Skylight Arrays: Design of complex roof apertures to filter natural daylight into deep plan areas.
Interior Infrastructure
- Social Architecture: Design of oversized staircases and wide corridors that function as informal gathering spots.
- Material Specs: Selection of durable institutional-grade materials like Kota stone and polished granite for heavy footfall areas.
- Tender Documentation: Preparation of detailed documents to select contractors capable of museum-quality construction.
About Institutional & Cultural Architectural Design
Why Place Matters
We believe buildings should feel like they belong – not just dropped onto a site. Our work is all about being rooted in context, history, and climate. You’ll see us using courtyards, real landscape elements, and always thinking about how natural light shapes spaces. We don’t try to copy the past, but we use traditional ideas and tune them for now.
What Guides Us
- Every design responds to its surroundings, from climate-responsive architecture to using materials that fit where we’re building.
- We’ve got solid experience in adaptive reuse of heritage buildings, bringing old spaces back to life while keeping their soul intact.
- Spaces aren’t static – we design for flexibility, so institutions can grow and change. Big staircases, common hubs, and easy movement mean it’s never just about rooms, it’s about people bumping into each other, sharing ideas.
- Natural light integration is a big deal for us – skylights, jaalis, and sometimes even going underground to keep heritage sites looking right.
How We Work
Collaboration runs through everything. We team up with artists and craftspeople, so buildings aren’t just functional – they’re layered with meaning. Whether it’s a library, gallery, or university space, each project is a mix of structure, history, and a bit of creative chaos.
If you want spaces that feel alive and are built for real life – not just for show – that’s what we’re about.
Meet your Expert
RMA Architects
409 connects in last 3 months
My Story
We started RMA Architects back in 1990, one foot in Mumbai, one in Boston. Our thing? Buildings that actually feel alive, not just concrete boxes. Like, for LMW HQ in Coimbatore, we mixed old-school courtyards, artists, and even scrap metal from the factory to make those Mughal jaalis. In Hyderabad, we ditched the boring glass box for a custom-cast façade with plants—handmade in a village, not some factory. Whether it’s a private museum in Alibaug or a campus in Basel, we always try to make spaces that breathe, that sit quietly but powerfully in their place.
My Work
Architectural Design Services - We design homes, retreats, museums, offices, even retrofit old buildings. Each project gets its own vibe.
Context-Driven Architecture - No copy-paste jobs here. Every building is shaped by its location and climate, so it just fits.
Integrating Courtyards & Nature - Courtyards, greenery, light, water—these help us make spaces that connect people to nature’s rhythm.
Materiality and Craftsmanship - We use local stone, traditional stuff, and work with artists for custom details—like that custom-cast façade.
Beyond the Building - We want our places to spark conversation and connection, not just stand there looking pretty.
