Meet the Indian names who are up for top prizes at World Architecture Festival 2021

New Delhi–based Studio Lotus and Mumbai’s Red Architects are the two Indian nominees at the 2021 edition of the World Architecture Festival (WAF). The event, which will take place in Lisbon from 1–3 December, celebrates notable buildings and landscape projects from across the world, with ‘Resetting the City: Greening, Health and Urbanism’ as this year's theme.

Studio Lotus And Eco-luxe

“The sites presented the unique challenge of being parts of fragile ecosystems,” says Studio Lotus of their two shortlisted projects—RAAS Chhatrasagar and the Villa in the Woods. Both employ custom-made modular construction systems to form structures that are lightweight, with low-impact foundations, and merge seamlessly with their environment. Nature and luxury go hand in hand at the former, a 20-room boutique tented camp perched atop a 150-year-old dam in Nimaj, Rajasthan, a three-hour drive from Jodhpur. At its heart lies a restaurant, Baradari, that’s a modern interpretation of a 12-pillared Rajputana pavilion crafted from a lightweight metal frame and dry stone infill. Across the property, earthy tones and locally sourced materials complement sweeping views of dense forests and a lake that’s home to several migratory birds.

The firm’s other entry, the Villa in the Woods, is part of an eco-conscious community development project set at a lofty 6,700 feet in the Kumaon range of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand. Mindful of its environmental impact, the tree house–like structure features modernist angles and clean lines while the material palette borrows from traditional Kumaoni practices and includes timber, slate and local stone.

Red Architects Offer A Global Take

“The global trend is to use technology and move to [adapting local designs] and situating within a local context, using sustainable materials. The house does all of this and more,” says Apoorva Shroff, partner at Red Architects, whose Lonavala home designed by her firm has also been shortlisted for the WAF. Christened Airavat, meaning “a home in the clouds”, the striking property takes inspiration from the surrounding Western Ghats and has been built from local materials, including rocks excavated from the site. The design also incorporates sustainable practices such as water recycling.

WAF nominees will present their projects in front of a live panel of judges during the event. The programme will also include panel discussions on sustainability, urban planning, biodiversity and landscape design. “Each and every person has been affected adversely over these two years. We cheer the efforts put in by the WAF team and others involved in conquering the odds to encourage extraordinary architecture. To have built during these challenging times itself is an achievement,” Shroff signs off.