Over the last few months, we have been seeing international design trends mirror Indian concerns for upcycling and a focus on neutral, natural colours. Globally too, stone, especially marble is a favourite for its colour and textures, and it is often used in different ways — to create craft-forward pieces and monolithic forms.

In India, design studios have been using artisanal knowledge to create intricate inlays. Much of this was reflected at the recently concluded AD Design Show at the Karigar Pavilion, Mumbai, where Architectural Digest magazine had invited industry stars such as Vikas Soni, known for painting the interiors of Villa Palladio in Jaipur and Sonam Kapoor’s house in Mumbai. There were weavers from Kani Shawl Heritage, who set up a loom to fashion pashmina specimens in front of a curious audience.

But one of the popular showcases was an edit of 43 designers who work with different mediums, ranging from textiles and painting to metal work and pottery. Called ‘AD Discoveries’, it was spread across four rooms, and curated by interior stylist Samir Wadekar.

Komal Sharma, head of editorial content for AD notes, “The idea of discoveries was literally born from a section in the magazine called AD Discoveries, which has smaller stories about emerging brands, design news, and new launches.”

Wadekar was helped by an advisory board that consisted of B.V. Doshi’s granddaughter Khushnu Panthaki Hoof; co-founders of Kolkata-based gallery Experimenter, Prateek and Priyanka Raja; co-founders of Humming Tree, Arun Shekhar and Mohammed Afnan; interior designer Rajeev Saini; and Nisha Mathew Ghosh of architecture firm Mathew and Ghosh.

He notes, “For me, it was not about having the most recent pieces, but about showcasing what the brand is about or the brand’s aesthetic, or showing something that I thought people would find interesting.” Besides reaching out to designers (he credits Panthaki Hoof with being invaluable for her insights into Ahmedabad’s design scene and its textile artists), he also worked with some young brands such as Gradient India, Shed, Julia and Sita, and Studio Medium to commission custom works that he used to design four distinctive rooms. Hoof adds that she was keen to promote people who wouldn’t otherwise get a chance.

The challenge, Wadekar notes, was to create varied displays, which he managed by changing flooring, wall colours and displaying the work thematically.

We highlight five designers to have on your radar:

Araish Jaipur

Founded by Shivani Jadeja and Priyamvada Golcha, Araish Jaipur brings the traditional Rajasthani lime plaster technique to objects like vases and candles.

Shivani Jadeja and Priyamvada Golcha of Araish Jaipur
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It’s no surprise that the production is in Jaipur and most of their designs are produced on order. Using natural dyes — such as palash flowers for yellow — they’ve honed a product list that’s easy to transport, given that most of their clientele are abroad. Products can be bought from their studio in Jaipur.

Gaurav Kanjerla, head of sales, explains that Golcha has always had craftsmen working to restore the 300-year-old home she resides in. Over three years of R&D, the duo has learned to take the lime plaster technique onto household articles.

Eikowa Studio

The journey from a gallery — and displaying others’ work — to creating her own, has been a fulfilling one for founder and creative head Vaishnavi Murali.

Vaishnavi Murali of Eikowa Studio
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While she displayed a handmade brass-covered cupboard at the AD Design Show, Murali also works with concrete, paper, aluminium and other materials.

The studio was born out of necessity, creating customised artworks for the hotels and offices she consulted with. In the years since, she’s found that she has “passion in this space, and I got introduced to the world of craft that India has”. As a result, Eikowa now sees itself taking on a dual role, of promoting Indian artists, but also Indian crafts — across terracotta, ceramics, metalwork and more. They can be reached via Instagram @eikowa_studio

InOrdinary

Priyansha Jain, founder and creative director, states, “At InOrdinary, I’m interested in promoting functional art, which are one-of-a-kind functional objects.” She goes on, “We spend so much time with functional objects, so to find beauty in it and find meaning in it, seems like a good idea.”

Priyansha Jain of InOrdinary
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The daily display at the design show changed because, as Jain says, “It presented the nature of InOrdinary and finding new objects in the everyday.” So over three days, the brand showcased everything from cups and candles, to placemats and trays.

Working with some of India’s most interesting designers, InOrdinary encourages them to rethink each object.

inordinary.in

Studio Medium

Panthaki Hoof highlights this New Delhi-based textile brand as one that she was excited to introduce to the AD audience. Studio Medium was founded by Riddhi Jain, an NID graduate who works in apparel and home textiles.

Riddhi Jain of Studio Medium
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Alongside weavers, she takes traditional techniques and give them a contemporary design sense.

Detail on ‘The Saree’
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‘The Saree’
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For the show, she created a custom tapestry, titled ‘The Saree’, a triptych made up of three interconnected pieces — skirt, pleat and pallav. The work aims to translate a 3D garment into a flat 2D form and like a saree, is about 5.5m long.

studiomedium.in

Studio Avni

Avni Sejpal, a trained architect, started her studio in 2011. In the years since she’s displayed at London Design Week and SaloneSatellite.

Avni Sejpal of Studio Avni
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Studio Avni

The tables on display at the show made use of cork and rubber that was originally in her workshop “for anti-vibration and insulation purposes”, to create a series of designs across tables, lamps and even vases, which are available online at studioavni.com.

Sejpal notes, “Cork is sustainable, and the material in the studio was already recycled,” and she was using it differently once again. Currently, she’s working with an array of materials such as metal mesh, PVC, concrete and textiles.

The writer is based in Mumbai.

The conversation around sustainability in the buildings sector has often centred on climate change, resource use, and energy efficiency. Buildings are significant contributors to global emissions, especially in fast-growing cities, so improving their energy and carbon efficiency is vital. Failing to act could result in higher energy consumption, greater dependence on fossil fuels, and missed climate targets, all of which will further strain urban infrastructure.

Globally, buildings account for nearly 40% of total final energy consumption over their lifespan, primarily for operational needs such as running HVAC systems and lighting.

This significant energy use leads to approximately 28% of energy-related carbon emissions arising from both on-site energy consumption and indirect emissions from power plants and other off-site sources. In India, buildings account for more than 30% of the national energy use and 20% of its carbon emissions, according to the Bureau of Energy Efficiency.

As urbanisation accelerates, India risks surpassing global benchmarks for energy efficiency and carbon emissions in buildings, including standards set by the International Energy Agency, building certification programmes, and the European Union’s Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

With India’s urban population expected to reach 600 million by 2030, this challenge is becoming even more urgent. As cities grow, the demand for new construction also increases, and without action the sector’s carbon footprint will increase drastically.

Adopting energy-efficient and low-carbon building practices is thus key to meet climate goals and to promote sustainable urban growth.

What are high-performance buildings?

Terms like “green buildings” and “high-performance buildings” (HPBs) are often used interchangeably in the field of sustainable construction. Both concepts aim to reduce environmental impact and energy consumption and improve occupant comfort, but differ significantly in their methods and outcomes.

Green buildings are often seen as a foundational step toward sustainable development, with certification programmes playing a crucial role in their creation. These programmes assess the design intent and the final outcomes across various categories, using established benchmarks to ensure the builder is meeting essential sustainability goals. Their key areas of concern are energy efficiency, water conservation, and materials sourcing.

HPBs elevate these ideas by striving for peak efficiency in every aspect of their form and function. From energy and water use to occupant health and comfort, HPBs are designed with specific, measurable goals to achieve results beyond what the local government requires. They use advanced technologies and smart design strategies to continuously track their performance metrics, ideally in real-time. Specifically, HPBs leverage site-specific design approaches, such as natural lighting, ventilation, and terrain water management using sustainable materials, insulation, and low U-value windows to maximise thermal efficiency and reduce energy demand.

Advanced technologies include energy-efficient HVAC systems, greywater recycling, rainwater harvesting, smart lighting controls, and advanced metering. A ‘building management system’ (BMS) allows operators to monitor an HPB’s performance, including sharing real-time analytics to optimise resource use.

Some HPBs already exist in India. One notable example is Unnati in Greater Noida, which features a façade designed according to the Sun’s path in the local sky to improve thermal comfort and reduce glare. This is complemented by high-performance glass with a low solar heat gain coefficient, which improves energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality.

Similarly, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi utilises an advanced HVAC system featuring a unit where chilled water circulates through beams in the ceiling, taking advantage of natural convection and reducing energy consumption.

These building designs have paved the way for net-zero buildings (structures that generate as much energy and water as they consume) and grid-interactive buildings, which actively participate in energy demand management. Both push the boundaries of sustainability.

Benefits of HPBs

HPBs offer environmental benefits and address long-term operational challenges that building owners and occupants often face. Rather than focusing solely on saving energy, HPBs create a holistic environment where technology, design, and sustainability intersect to enhance building performance.

For example, their use of smart systems to dynamically manage resource use ensures building systems last longer and don’t need frequent upgrades. The Infosys campus in Bengaluru has a facility that monitors the entire building’s performance using a BMS and makes the requisite changes as and when to maintain peak performance. These buildings often achieve higher returns on investment due to higher property value and lower maintenance costs. Similar examples include the Atal Akshay Urja Bhavan in New Delhi and the Infosys campus in Hyderabad.

HPBs that take advantage of automation and artificial intelligence in addition to existing features can even create intelligent ecosystems. For example, computers in buildings can adjust lighting, temperature, and ventilation based on occupancy patterns or weather conditions to create a more personalised, energy-efficient milieu.

From a market perspective, HPBs are becoming a symbol of forward-thinking development. Beyond their immediate benefits, they signal a shift toward buildings that prioritise the well-being of occupants with superior air filtration systems, maximal natural light, and optimal thermal comfort.

How can HPBs help India’s cities?

Life in India is guided by resource scarcity, fluctuating energy markets, and rising temperatures. HPBs offer resilience through adaptive, self-sufficient structures. They promote social well-being by nurturing healthier indoor environments, including air quality.

For example, TCS Banyan Park in Mumbai incorporates extensive green spaces and water features and its daytime lighting strategy includes well-placed windows and skylights to reduce artificial lighting. Such projects consume fewer resources while elevating the quality of the workplace.

For India, where rapid urbanisation can and does strain public infrastructure, HPBs offer a proactive solution that positions the built environment as a driver of the country’s transition to a low-carbon, more sustainable economy. In sum, in a rapidly changing real-estate landscape, where adaptability is key, HPBs stand out as future-proof investments capable of weathering evolving environmental and economic pressures while delivering value.

Sandhya Patil is a sustainability expert with the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and anchors technical assistance for ASSURE. The author does not have any financial interests vested with any company or organisation that would benefit from this article.