How does a design firm grow without losing its soul? At FOAID 2024, the five principals of Studio Lotus—Asha Sairam, Ambrish Arora, Ankur Choksi, Sidhartha Talwar, and Harshvardhan—shared a deeply personal and insightful account of their journey. Moderated by Ruturaj Parikh of Studio Matter, what unfolded was a rare, honest look at the inner workings of a practice that has scaled to over 100 people while holding tightly to its core beliefs.
“We didn’t set out to be big.” — Asha Sairam
Growth, for Studio Lotus, wasn’t a strategic goal—it was a natural outcome of nurturing leadership within.
“People in our team wanted to grow, and they wanted to grow with us. That’s when we realized we had to evolve to support that,” Asha shared.
Though they’ve scaled, Asha admits that parts of the studio still function like a small practice—with the same attention to detail and personal involvement. However, the challenges are real.
“I used to know every team member by name. That’s not always the case now—and that’s a loss I feel.”
She adds that creating a consistent studio culture across divisions is an ongoing challenge they work hard to meet.
“We’re up to something bigger than ourselves.” — Ambrish Arora
Ambrish reflected on the shifting definition of scale—not just in numbers, but in influence.
“It’s no longer about how many people we have. It’s about our sphere of impact—the conversations we seed, the collaborators we engage with, and the culture we nurture.”
He emphasized Studio Lotus’s long-term vision:
“We want the practice to outlive us. And for that, our focus is on values, not personalities.”
He described their role as facilitators and custodians, not controllers, of the studio’s future.
“It’s about contrast, not compromise.” — Harshvardhan
Harshvardhan, who joined the firm as an intern and rose to become a principal, brought a grounded lens to the idea of growth.
“From the outside, scale looks like success. But from within, it’s about handling contrasts—between creativity and systems, between values and business needs.”
He emphasized the studio’s internal openness:
“As a junior, I remember being asked, ‘What will you bring to the table?’ That question changed everything—it gave me a sense of authorship right from the start.”
“We didn’t pursue scale. We pursued potential.” — Ankur Choksi
For Ankur, the idea of “scaling” Studio Lotus has always come second to unlocking the potential of its people.
“We constantly play with ambiguity. There’s no static formula here. We reflect, we realign, and we evolve.”
He acknowledged the philosophical nature of their leadership journey, saying:
“We’re not in pursuit of an identity tied to us. Our goal is to empower people to think, contribute, and even challenge us.”
“Systems don’t mean standardization.” — Sidhartha Talwar
Sidhartha focused on the operational side of sustainability—not in materials, but in mindsets and systems.
“We’re building processes that allow us to work better, not just more. That’s what makes a 100-person practice sustainable.”
He pointed out the shift from intuition to structure:
“We used to rely on instinct. Now, we document and define our design frameworks and values so they can guide everyone—not just the founders.”
But even as systems come into play, he cautioned:
“We don’t want to standardize creativity. We want to harmonize it.”
Studio Lotus: Not Just a Practice, But a Platform
This session at FOAID 2024 proved that Studio Lotus isn’t just designing buildings—it’s shaping a new kind of architectural culture in India. One where values lead, voices are heard, and growth is measured not by square feet, but by impact.
