ARCHITECTURE THAT PROTECTS, INSPIRES, AND BEFRIENDS

Four years after their first A+ D cover story, Meena Murthy Kakkar and Vishal Kakkar return as visionaries redefining institutional design in India. Their latest project, The Tagore School, embodies everything Envisage has become known for: three-pronged sustainability, age-calibrated spatial design, material honesty, and an unwavering belief that architecture shapes memory more than function ever could

- KASHISH KAUSHAL

If you want a deep dive into any architectural and design practice, their portfolio is enough to reflect what they stand for, their ethos and expertise. For most of them, the built environment they create is a direct expression of who they are. With Meena Murthy Kakkar and Vishal Kakkar, founders of Envisage, this process is a little diverse. There is a belief that charity begins at home, and rightly so, once you enter inside their Gurugram home ‘Advaita’, its architecture becomes Envisage’s living autobiography. I have had the pleasure of visiting their home twice, and each time, I have been reminded why their work enchants and acts like food for the soul. It's because they practice what they preach, quite literally within their own walls! Spread across 2385 sq ft, Advaita aptly reflects the India Modern aesthetic they've championed for nearly two decades. Here, South Indian heritage meets modern minimalism: from a restored 200-year-old pillar and wood-carved Dashavatar panels, to the Gond painting by Venkat Raman Shyam and hand-drawn kalamkari motifs embedded in terrazzo flooring, all set against monochrome palettes and Japandi-inspired arches that embrace wabi-sabi imperfections.