LOVER OF NATURE. ADVOCATE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Known as an architect who consistently pushes the boundaries of sustainable design, Manit Rastogi set up his design firm Morphogenesis in 1996 to develop an Indian design language that sits well within the global context.

He shared, “The last twenty-seven years have seen several challenges. Some have been global with recessionary cycles, while others have been inherently local. We constantly challenged the belief that architects abroad are better designers and that Indian firms emulate them. Fortunately, our faith in the Indian talent and efforts towards pursuing a concept-to-delivery model resulted in a change of perception, and there is no more scepticism. Another challenge has been to hone young talent systematically, inculcating values befitting professional practice.”

The primary achievement he is proud of is making S.O.U.L - a well-understood design approach. He explains, “S stands for sustainability, where we have consistently delivered buildings consuming 50% less energy than the best prevailing green standards. O stands for resource optimization through integrated project delivery metrics developed from a deep understanding of practice, engineering and construction. U stands for unique, where we work towards developing climate, context and client-specific responses that consistently establish new benchmarks for sustainability and imageability. L is for liveability, generated through building user-centric intelligent environments.”

According to architect Rastogi, the current trending words are environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG). “The truth is that environmental and social impact through governance has been practised in many different form, but now there is a new thrust to how business is conducted."

Manit Rastogi’s commitment to sustainable environment goes beyond the realm of architectural practice. As a founder of The GRIHA Council, India’s own Green rating system, Manit works with urban policymakers to spearhead initiatives with an emphasis on environmental sensibility and social welfare.