Category Archives: Architecture

“THE WAY I SEE”: VERENDRA WAKHLOO

February 23, 2026 ASO Communications Leave a comment

Originally featured in [IN] SIDE, Volume 02, Issue 02.

With three decades of prolific experience, Matra Architects led by Verendra Wakhloo is a practice based out of Delhi. Verendra Wakhloo writes about architecture as an ever-evolving paradigm – as an institution of values and exploration that is ideologically oriented to many identities and forces. He offers an insight into the ethos, relationships and principles that are essential in conceptualisation and realisation of the ecology of architecture, practice and people of Matra.

The Wood House (2013) located in the hills of Uttarakhand is designed in harmony with its context. It’s a homage to the client’s origin and expresses their bond with the mountains – an association they cherished since their childhood

DESIGN AS A JOURNEY

“Architecture is not created by one, it is by many. And not only dealt by many, but constructed by many, also thought through by many. An idea emerges through a process, a dialogue which we open up,” acknowledges Verendra Wakhloo. A dialogue that Matra Architects has been trying to initiate for three decades under his guidance.

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Architecture, Contemporary Practice, Discourse, Essays, Studio

HIREN PATEL ON ‘MAKING’

July 4, 2024 Matter 2 Comments

Originally featured in [IN]SIDE, Volume 02, Issue 02.

Hiren Patel, Principal and Director, Hiren Patel Architects writes about an approach to architecture where the question of thinking in detail is central to the idea of a project and the work reaffirms this belief when it endures inhabitation over a large span of time.

The semi-covered veranda: pavilion in the middle of the site for a Village house project: structures that promote outdoor living and bear a better relationship with the natural context.

DESIGN

For me, designing a building is like creating a painting on a canvas. Growing up, I always had an inclination for the arts. As a student, architecture opened up a whole new way of looking at art and design. This, I think, in some way influenced my approach towards architecture.

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Architecture, Books & Films, Dialogues

Dialogue: Peter Zumthor and Bijoy Ramachandran

April 30, 2024 Matter Leave a comment

A CONVERSATION ACROSS CULTURES
Swissnex / SwitzerlandandIndia75

JN Tata Auditorium
Indian Institute of Science¹
Bangalore / 22^nd February 2024

Swiss architect and Pritzker Prize Winner Peter Zumthor in conversation with Bengaluru-based Architect Bijoy Ramachandran.

Swissnex in India, in collaboration with SwitzerlandIndia75, hosted the two renowned architects to discuss bilateral perspectives on architecture in an open format. This was a rare opportunity for architects and architecture enthusiasts to witness a cross-cultural exploration of ideas. As Switzerland and India celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations, this conversation was a significant milestone for Bengaluru’s design scene, fostering cultural exchange and collaboration in the field of architecture. This was an evening of intellectual discourse as these two architects wove a tapestry of diverse influences that shape the world of architecture.

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Architecture, On Photography, Visual Culture

Fabien Charuau: On Photography

March 20, 2024 Matter Leave a comment

In conversation with Fabien Charuau, as he discusses the ideological evolution of the “photographic”. He delves into the potential that photography and digital art offer, to make commentaries on our social landscapes.

The following text is the edited transcript of the conversation with Fabien Charuau, conducted on the 15^th of July, 2022.

[00:25]
CHAPTER 01: ORIGINS

It was a bit of a convoluted start for me; my entry into photography. I studied engineering, and I come from a scientific background. Photography was an accident which happened in my journey through life. I did not work for too long as an engineer, as I did not have much interest in it. I wanted to be in a more creative zone, and photography gave me the opportunity to do that.

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Architecture, PRAXIS Initiative

PRAXIS 18 | Architecture BRIO

July 21, 2023 Matter Leave a comment

An editorial project by Matter in partnership with Şişecam Flat Glass, PRAXIS investigates the work and positions of diverse contemporary architecture practices in India. The episode features Robert Verrijt and Shefali Balwani, the founding partners of the Mumbai- and Rotterdam-based practice, Architecture BRIO. Through strategic designs, their studio places experiential architecture as a background for the surrounding context. Outlined in this conversation is a glimpse into their process and the thinking behind the studio’s spatial, textured and meticulously detailed portfolio of work – furthering an understanding of facets such as materiality, technology, changing landscapes and the found terrain. The discussion also touches upon the executional, operational and economic workings of the practice in discussion with Rohit Mankar, Associate Partner, and Mimo Shirazi, Business Head at Architecture BRIO.