Exploration And Experimentation In Architecture

In creating an office in Bengaluru, Biome Environmental Solutions pushes the boundaries of sustainability-centred design thought and the use of natural materials in innovative ways to build need-based spaces rather than conforming to the ever-so-prevalent growth-based paradigm.

- Sharmila Chakravorty

For most architecture and design projects, the underlying idea is usually somewhat along the same lines – create a tangible response to a particular problem, requirement, or aspiration, irrespective of the type and scale of the project. What then defines the evolution of the design, and the structure eventually, is the approach the architects decide to take, their firm’s ethos, and the character they infuse into their creation. By this logic, all architecture is experimental, as every architect can potentially bring in their own preferences and principles to the design table.

There are of course several ways to creatively approach design and meet the needs of a project, but the exploration and assessment of these ways to arrive at a particular, unique one are what gives architects their signature style and expression. And for many studios, this thought process, over time, becomes the invisible but assertive underlying thread that connects all their varied projects, tying them together to the studio’s design ethos. This is true in varying degrees, with some studios’ work prominently conforming to an underlying design language in all their projects, while for others, it is rather too subtle to notice.

But for Bangalore-based Biome Environmental Solutions, this design thread is perhaps like an overarching principle that acts as a guideline for all their projects. It perhaps symbolizes their continued focus on architecture from a lens of sustainability and ecological impact, the use of natural materials and techniques, integrating sound water, energy, and land-use thinking into their designs. Their project Office at #15 to showcases their signature ecologically and socially sensitive nature of work, with a strong commitment to being ambassadors for sustainable living practices while not compromising on aesthetics, functionality, budget, and overall habitability.