Studio Lotus

On International Day for Biological Diversity, we are prompted to reconsider how we build and inhabit the land around us. In the face of growing biodiversity loss, it becomes increasingly important to think about how architecture can work with and enrich existing natural systems.

This thought takes us back to Devanya, a 100-acre forest between Bhimtal and Mukteshwar in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. At the fairly degraded site, our early efforts were focused on environmental regeneration, in collaboration with landscape architect , beginning with an understanding of the land, its water systems, vegetation and ecology. Over time, what was once a relatively dry landscape transformed into a verdant cover, reintroducing indigenous species, crossed by a smattering of perennial streams that revitalised the ecosystem, luring birds, butterflies, and other fauna.

The project continues to stay with us, reinforcing our design value of “timelessness”, the idea that sustainability lies in building in a manner that endures.

📷:

Principal will be speaking at .in in Mumbai as part of the panel discussion, 𝘊𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘐𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

Bringing together voices from fashion, art, and architecture, the session will examine these disciplines as cultural expressions shaped by history, geography, craft, and lived experience. The conversation will explore how identity and cultural narratives are adapted across mediums and the responsibility of preserving and evolving them without reducing them to surface or symbol.

📍17 May, Sunday, 2026 - Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai

🕑 2:00–3:00 PM