THE ART OF LIVING BETTER

He shares with Sapna Srivastava how thoughtful spaces can improve well-being, while remaining responsive to the evolving needs of modern life.

Q Your copyrighted SOUL methodology is widely celebrated in macro-architecture. How do you translate ‘Optimization’ and ‘Livability’ in interior design of a space, particularly?

Our SOUL design philosophy at Morphogenesis is formulated to define the inquiry that shapes all our work. Sustainable addresses the pursuit of net zero energy, water, and waste to landfill. Optimised concerns carbon neutrality and the use of local materials, skills, and resources. And Unique honours tradition, heritage, and culture as living generators of form. Liveable focuses on the creation of resilient communities. These four parameters are our measure of success, applied before, during, and after a project’s completion. When we bring Optimization into the scale of interior design, it centres on the pursuit of maximum performance using minimum resources. Carbon neutrality and the conscious use of local resources become, in the interior context, decisions about material sourcing, embodied energy, and the lifecycle of every finish and fitting specified. Livability, by extension, addresses the full spectrum of human experience within a space. It encompasses air quality, thermal and acoustic comfort, natural light, and emotional well-being.

Q How do you balance traditional craftsmanship with the client’s demand for modern corporate interiors or minimalist residential?

Craftsmanship, for us, has always been a performance strategy before it is an aesthetic one. The spatial and environmental intelligence embedded in traditional Indian architecture is our primary reference, and the question we keep asking is: how do we take that inherited wisdom and make it work within contemporary building science? For example, a hand-woven textile panel resolves an acoustic brief. A terracotta surface regulates humidity and contributes to thermal mass. Locally quarried stone carries embodied intelligence about climate and material behavior. For clients seeking a clean, modern language, we translate that intelligence into the spatial vocabulary they are drawn to, allowing it to operate quietly and precisely within the interior. The craft tradition becomes the means of achieving the contemporary outcome, not a decorative layer on top of it.

Q Interior design is often criticized for a high turnover rate during renovations, leading to material waste. How do you design interiors that achieve true longevity?

Our designs prioritize longevity through durable materials, modular configurations, and adaptable spatial layouts. This approach reduces the need for frequent renovations, minimizing lifecycle emissions and ensuring long-term value for users. According to the World Green Building Council, sustainable building practices can cut lifecycle emissions by up to 50%, reinforcing that luxury and sustainability must work hand in hand to shape the future of architecture.

Q Your projects are often celebrated for their environmental responsiveness. How do you ensure that sustainability is embedded not just in the building envelope but also in the interior experience?

Sustainability, as we practice it, must travel all the way through a building and into the lived experience of the person inhabiting it. We strongly believe in passive performance being woven into every design decision. The interior is where the inhabitant meets the building’s intention most directly. We design so that the right quality of light reaches the right task, natural air movement is intuitive and present, and materials contribute to both physical and emotional wellbeing. That continuous learning loop, from design to occupation to feedback to refinement, is a core tenet of how we practice. For instance, the positioning of workstations perpendicular to glazing eliminates monitor glare through geometry alone. We configure floor plates to ensure that interiors remain luminous and thermally comfortable throughout the working day. Every element, from floor plate configuration to surface reflectance, is designed with quantifiable performance outcomes in mind.

Q If you could dismantle one pervasive myth or ‘bad habit’ currently trending in the Indian luxury interior design industry, what would it be?

One of the most urgent shifts needed is moving away from the automatic association of luxury with imported materials and foreign finishes. India holds an exceptional wealth of material culture across its states - each shaped by climatic intelligence, deep-rooted craftsmanship, and distinct cultural identity that cannot be replicated. True design intelligence lies in responding to context, and the Indian luxury interior industry is at its strongest when it draws from the rich building knowledge and craft traditions developed here over centuries.

Q What will define the interiors of the future: technology, sustainability, flexibility, or something else entirely?

All of these forces will shape the interiors of the future, and they will do so most powerfully when held in service of empathy toward the person inhabiting the space. Technology will become increasingly invisible, sensing and responding in ways that feel entirely natural. Sustainability will be foundational. Flexibility will be structural and deeply considered, allowing spaces to evolve as the lives within them evolve. The pandemic revealed with great clarity how profoundly spatial quality shapes mental health, productivity, and the sense of community. Post-occupancy evaluation of our own projects has reinforced our belief that design must function as a continuous learning loop, with each built work contributing to a growing body of knowledge. The interiors of the future in India will carry the intelligence of their climate, the richness of their craft traditions, and the resilience of their communities.


True design intelligence lies in responding to context, and the Indian luxury interior industry is at its strongest when it draws from the rich building knowledge and craft traditions developed here over centuries.