Q. What does good design mean to you in today’s Indian real estate market?
Prabhleen Singh: For me, good design is the balance between aesthetics, functionality, context, quality and long-term value. In today’s Indian real estate market, design cannot simply be about creating an impressive façade or a visually attractive sales experience.
Good design begins with understanding how people actually live. It is about planning homes with the right proportions, natural light, ventilation, privacy, storage and flexibility, while creating architecture that has a strong sense of identity.
I also believe that Indian design should respond to our climate, culture and way of life. The most successful projects are those where design becomes an experience rather than just an appearance. Ultimately, good design should make everyday life better while creating enduring value for the customer and the development.
Q. How have homebuyers’ expectations around design and quality changed in recent years?
Prabhleen Singh: Homebuyers have become significantly more aware and discerning. They are exposed to international architecture, hospitality, interiors and lifestyle brands through digital platforms, travel and social media. Consequently, their expectations have moved beyond just apartment size, location and specifications.
Today, buyers increasingly look at the overall experience—arrival spaces, lobbies, amenities, landscaping, clubhouses, interiors, materials, detailing and even the quality of common-area execution.
There is also greater awareness of sustainability, wellness, technology and operational efficiency. Importantly, customers are becoming better at distinguishing between something that merely looks premium and something that is genuinely well designed and well executed.
Q. What design trends do you think will shape Indian homes over the next five years?
Prabhleen Singh: I see a movement towards more personalised, flexible and wellness-oriented homes.
Homes will increasingly need to accommodate multiple functions—work, leisure, family time and individual privacy. Flexible spaces, better storage, larger openings, natural light and stronger indoor-outdoor connections will become increasingly important.
I also expect greater emphasis on biophilic design, climate-responsive architecture, smart-home technology and high-quality materials.
At the same time, I believe Indian design will increasingly draw from our own architectural heritage—not through literal replication, but through contemporary interpretations of Indian proportions, materials, courtyards, shading devices, textures and landscape.
The future, in my view, is not about choosing between global and Indian design. It is about creating a distinctly Indian contemporary luxury.
Q. How can developers make sustainability a part of design rather than just an added feature?
Prabhleen Singh: Sustainability needs to be considered from the first line drawn on the site plan, rather than added towards the end as a certification exercise.
Site orientation, building massing, solar exposure, landscape strategy, water management, material selection, energy consumption and building services all have to be considered together.
For me, sustainability is most meaningful when it is integrated into the architecture itself—through passive design, appropriate orientation, shading, efficient building envelopes, native landscaping, water conservation and responsible material choices.
There is also a business dimension to this. Good sustainable design can improve operational efficiency, reduce lifecycle costs and enhance the long-term value of a development. It should therefore be viewed not merely as an environmental responsibility but as good development strategy.
Q. How important are open spaces, landscaping and community areas in today’s residential projects?
Prabhleen Singh: They have become extremely important. In a dense urban environment, open spaces are not simply leftover areas between buildings—they are an essential part of the residential experience.
A well-designed landscape can provide opportunities for recreation, wellness, social interaction and moments of privacy. Community spaces also help create a sense of belonging within a development.
I believe the future of residential design will increasingly be about creating a complete ecosystem of living, where architecture, landscape, amenities and community spaces are designed as one integrated experience.
The quality of these spaces is also determined by details—scale, shade, planting, seating, lighting, walkability and how people actually move through and use them.
Q. How do you ensure that a project looks good but also works well for everyday living?
Prabhleen Singh: I believe the answer lies in designing from the user's perspective. Before asking whether something looks beautiful, we need to ask whether it works. How does a resident enter the home? Where do they keep everyday items? How does furniture fit? Is there adequate privacy? Does the kitchen function efficiently? How does natural light enter the spaces? How do children, elderly residents and domestic staff move through the home?
At the development level, the same thinking applies to parking, arrival sequences, vertical circulation, amenities, landscape and services.
A successful project is one where form and function are not competing objectives. The beauty should emerge from good planning, proportion, materiality and detailing rather than being applied as decoration.
Q. What are the biggest design challenges you see in India’s residential real estate sector today?
Prabhleen Singh: One of the biggest challenges is achieving the right balance between customer aspirations, commercial viability, regulations, construction realities and design quality.
There is often a gap between what is conceived at the design stage and what is eventually delivered on site. Maintaining design intent through multiple consultants, contractors, procurement decisions and value-engineering exercises is therefore critical.
Another challenge is creating differentiation. As the market becomes more competitive, there is a temptation to follow established trends. I believe developers need to move towards stronger design narratives and more authentic project identities, rather than simply replicating what is already successful elsewhere.
Finally, quality of execution remains as important as the design itself. A great concept cannot compensate for poor detailing or construction quality.
Q. How is technology changing the way projects are designed and developed?
Prabhleen Singh: Technology is fundamentally changing the design-development process. BIM, digital coordination, visualisation, parametric tools, GIS, data analytics and AI are allowing design teams to evaluate options much earlier and with greater precision.
AI in particular has significant potential—from early-stage ideation and massing studies to visualisation, design optimisation and information management. But I see it as a powerful design-assistance tool, not a replacement for design thinking.
The real opportunity is to combine technology with human experience. Data can tell us what is possible; technology can help us test it; but architects and designers still need to understand people, context, culture, proportion, materiality and emotion.
Ultimately, technology should help us make better decisions, reduce iterations and improve execution—not simply make the design process more complicated.
Disclaimer: The responses reflect Prabhleen’s personal opinions and professional perspective based on his experience in design and development. They are not intended to represent the views or policies of any organisation.
