At FOAID 2024, the stage was graced by the quiet charisma and thoughtful insight of Ar. Sandeep Khosla, principal of the acclaimed Bangalore-based firm Khosla and Anand. Known for their richly layered work rooted in material honesty, climate responsiveness, and local craftsmanship, the session was a deep dive into contemporary Indian architecture that belongs — to its people, its place, and its purpose.
From luxurious homes in arid zones to heritage-sensitive public spaces and forward-thinking hospitality projects, Sandeep took the audience through five recent projects, each highlighting a unique exploration of contextual design.
Designing with Climate in Mind: A Home for Harsh Summers
Ar Sandeep Khosla opened with a striking residence designed to withstand the dry 45°C summers of western India. The house is an ode to passive design, minimizing heat gain through strategic orientation, deep verandas, shaded pergolas, and double-layered walls. The home’s sculptural golden steel staircase and timber-clad bridge span across a soaring double-height living room, where light enters gently through clerestory windows.
“We didn’t want to let heat in and then spend energy getting it out. That just didn’t make sense,” he remarked.A focus on natural materials—clay tiles, pink sandstone, reclaimed wood, terrazzo, and brick—brings warmth and timelessness to the home. The result is architecture that breathes with its surroundings, prioritizing comfort and sustainability without compromising on elegance.
Breathing New Life into Heritage: The Bangalore Club Lawn
The next case study zoomed out to an urban scale — the rejuvenation of the Bangalore Club’s main lawn, a historic institution dating back to 1868. Khosla and his team reimagined the once-fragmented space into a cohesive social hub, preserving the colonial-era charm while upgrading it for contemporary needs.
Key interventions included a covered dining colonnade, a new kitchen block, and the show-stealer — a 50-foot-wide umbrella bar constructed around a giant rain tree. The circular bar’s cantilevered roof spans 25 feet in all directions, offering uninterrupted shelter under the sky. Thoughtfully distanced from heritage buildings and made with side rally stone and timber, the interventions respect the site’s storied past while amplifying its usability.
Jaipur Rugs Bangalore: When Retail Meets Heritage Craft
A standout in retail architecture, the Jaipur Rugs flagship store in Bangalore is a poetic nod to the craftspeople behind the product. Referencing the Pink City, the space features a curvilinear, fluted wall inspired by Rajasthani forts and steeples. Local Banswara marble, stucco walls, and a 37-foot hand-knotted carpet mural set the tone for storytelling through space.
“We wanted to make the process visible — not just the product,” Khosla explained.
From handcrafted marble reliefs to traditional divan seating, the store seamlessly merges design and narrative, creating a tactile, immersive brand experience that honors the hands behind the loom.
The Takeaway: Architecture of Generosity
Ar. Sandeep Khosla’s lecture wasn’t just about projects. It was a call to reclaim identity through architecture, to move away from trends and toward meaning, making, and memory. Whether crafting a shaded home in Gujarat or a cultural space in Bangalore, the thread running through his work is clear: architecture must belong — to place, to people, and to time.
