Between the lines

Akshat Bhatt, founder of Architecture Discipline, shares what defines his architectural worldview

- WORDS VARUNI MOHAN

Akshat Bhatt doesn't see buildings as neutral containers. Since founding Architecture Discipline in 2007, his New Delhi-based studio has approached every project — from neighbourhood health clinics to high-performance hotels — as an opportunity to build atmospheres that matter. With a design language that favours clarity over excess, and systems over signatures, Akshat’s work spans multiple scales and sectors. Whether it’s a mass timber residence in Goa, a rewilding project in Uttarakhand, or a hotel campus in the Himalayas, the work always begins with context, and evolves through precision and purpose. But it’s his candid, layered perspective that is informed by a love for music and material intelligence, that truly sets him apart. architecturediscipline.com

If you weren’t an architect, what would you be doing?

I'd be a musician. Watching Guns N’ Roses’ November Rain video as a teenager made the guitar a lifelong obsession. That, and music, shaped how I think creatively.