the team

Ambrish Arora is Founding Principal at Studio Lotus. Grounded on the principles of Conscious Design, the studio's approach celebrates local resources, cultural influences, keen attention to detail, and an inclusive process that seeks to bring out the best in every stakeholder. Ambrish’s role is largely studio-focused, leading design processes that direct the trajectory of projects. He is deeply involved with assessing benchmarks of innovation and sustainability for the studio’s ongoing work—including aspects related to thermal comfort, and localisation of material and process. Ambrish has persistently campaigned for the revival of crafts and the amalgamation of vernacular wisdom with modern building practices; an advocate for frugal and passive means of construction. He is a custodian of the guiding values that have served as a cornerstone for the practice since its inception, and is personally involved in leadership development for the studio’s teams.

As Principal and co-founder of Studio Lotus, Ankur brings over 26+ years of in-depth experience to the practice. His passion for stretching the conceptual possibilities of a project right down to its last detail is reflected in his diverse repertoire of Narrative-based Experiential Design projects that draw from regional context and culture, and are responsive to the evolving paradigms of luxury. Ankur oversees the studio’s Interior Architecture vertical, spearheading large-scale integrated Hospitality commissions, Residential projects, and Adaptive Reuse interventions. Significant projects in this domain include the design of 3 marquee projects for Godrej at The Trees development in Mumbai, hotels for the RAAS group,, and hotels for the Oberoi group in Bandhavgarh and the Taj group–including the Taj Guras Kutir in Sikkim and Himal Kutir in Darjeeling. Ankur has an active interest in design education and impacting change in evolving communities through design. He has been invited to speak at various global and national design forums. Ankur was a panelist at Talking Architecture hosted by the World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2020. He was also on the international jury at the WAF China Awards in December 2020 and the WAF in 2021, has been an advisory board member at FIND (Design Fair Asia), Singapore.

Asha Sairam brings her formal education in Communication Design and skills from past work as a scenographer and graphic designer, to her detail and user-experience driven approach to projects. Presently, Asha leads the Branded Experiences and Hospitality Interior Design verticals for the practice. Her portfolio comprises a diverse range of typologies—including retail and brand identity development, hospitality and F&B experiences, corporate interiors, exhibitions, and installation design. Some of the studio’s most significant projects in this domain include Masti Cocktails & Cuisine in Dubai; the adaptive reuse for the RAAS Devigarh hotel in Udaipur; Royal Enfield stores [which includes crafting their global retail identity]; flagship stores for retail brand Ekaya across several geographies; and hotels for the Oberoi and Taj groups, Listed among Forbes’ Top 30 under 45 most impactful designers in 2023, and a 40 under 40 honouree at Perspective Global Design Awards 2019, Asha is an active voice in the global design fraternity.

Harsh heads the studio’s Business Development and Organisational initiatives. With a Bachelor's degree in Architectural Design from the Malviya National Institute of Technology, he joined Studio Lotus in 2013, working on and heading numerous projects, including the House in a Garden, Mauritius, Stacked Courtyard House, New Delhi and international design competitions. His business acumen and experience as an architect have led Harsh to establish a seamless balance between the vision for the practice and its business opportunities. At the Studio, he focuses on modelling frameworks to develop and execute the practice's tactical priorities. He works with the core leadership to choreograph and oversee strategic planning and operations, and manage pivotal client relations.

Design to me is a powerful medium for storytelling. Building narratives through design can captivate users and make the experience more engaging and immersive. In essence, for me, design is a tool to create memorable experiences. I believe by approaching design with intentionality, empathy, and creativity, it enables the creation of spaces that are transformative and meaningful.

While approaching the design of a project, I try to articulate the brief first, find a balance between the various factors at play, and identify that unique opportunity hiding in the madness. I love that every day is a different day at work—there's no space for monotony. It encourages me to be uncomfortable and push myself into uncharted territories. My secret superpower is staying calm in the storm!

The idea of Worldbuilding, where every element is carefully considered and curated, allowing for the creation of immersive environments that evoke emotions together with a process-driven method, inspires my design approach. I spend time honing various skills and interests beyond work and design. I believe they contribute to discipline and have taught me the value of rigour—meditation, exploring and documenting wildlife, and an interest in film and the visual arts, among others.

My experience over 12 years spans residential, hospitality, institutional, cultural, and mixed-use projects—each rooted in a deep understanding of place and people. I’m guided by the design thinking approach—“What is? What if? What wows? What works?”—which helps distill intricate challenges into simple, effective solutions that put people at the heart of design. Outside the studio, I stay grounded through sport and fitness, with football being a key passion. I also love exploring new cities on foot, as it sharpens my understanding of scale, rhythm, and the lived experience.

The visual arts serve as a huge source of inspiration for my work. I love visiting art and architecture exhibitions, and I am a movie buff too—sci-fi being my favourite genre. My dream project would be to design a museum on the changing art forms in cinematic experiences. I have a belief that cinema needs to be experienced through changing landscapes, which helps us understand the major evolutions in global cultural contexts as well.

I really enjoy the calm working atmosphere of my workspace. Finance and mathematics have always been my core interests. My work mainly involves following up on payments for various studio expenses, including salaries. I love listening to music and traveling, especially to the mountains. It helps me relieve stress and spend quality time with my family. My secret superpower is staying calm even in the most stressful times.

The collective act of creation has always helped me bring out the best for a project, be it collaborating with our consultants, contractors, local artists, or artisans. While it does, of course, enhance the quality of the project, to me it’s a source of profound fulfilment. I love being able to interact with amazing individuals who are unique in their own ways, and who appreciate the importance of what we do and its impact on people. I don’t think I have a secret superpower—I feel that my strength is a commitment to hard work rather than any innate ability.

A user-centric perspective guides my decisions and ensures that the final design not only meets aesthetic standards but also enhances the functionality and well-being of those who interact with the space. It is, in a sense, reflective of our studio values of ‘Bringing love to all we do’ and ‘Context is decisive’. I love the fact that there are virtually no rules, and the possibility of innovation at each step of the design process is endless.

What I love most about architecture is understanding how every meticulous detail—well coordinated with an army of consultants, designers and users—brings a project to life. The joy, for me, lies in creating something truly holistic. I enjoy sketching/illustrating moments that catch my eye, often adding a touch of humour. Noticing and recording details helps me stay sensitive as a designer. I’d say my superpower is to quietly collect stories from ‘flaws’, be they from movies, people or design!

The excitement of having cracked a brief, and the thrill of seeing things come together at site are what I love about my work. My other passions are finance, business and cars. I dabble in the stock market in my free time. My secret superpower is making work feel like play so that everything feels enjoyable and fulfilling.

The thing I love the most about our field of work is the unique challenges that we face while designing, and how expansive our approaches are, and need to be. There is so much to integrate and think of simultaneously. It is very important to me to be able to develop honest connections with people–I live by it and ensure that there is a sense of trust in the relationship. I love working in Residential architecture in particular, because it is as close as one gets to designing a deeply personal and unique space where people can totally be themselves.

My design approach is driven by curiosity. While designing, I try to break down the process into pieces and solve it like a puzzle. Movies and Literature are my hobbies outside of work. My secret superpower will remain a secret!

I love that the work we practise at Studio Lotus is thought-provoking and sensitive. Architecture for me is tying existing stories with those that I can weave with my creative aspirations. I specifically enjoy experimenting with local materials in collaboration with their manufacturers. I believe that empathy is a critical skill that every architect must possess.

The fundamental exchange between society and design; how they influence and have continuously shaped each other is quite fascinating to me. I see architecture and design as domains that draw inspiration from every corner of life. This has led me to explore design through a multitude of perspectives, where even the smallest change can unfold infinite possibilities. Architecture has taught me to view buildings as communicators, whether with people, culture, environment or even posterity. At work, I love having the opportunity to extend this understanding through various mediums that reach a broader audience. My superpower? I can catch the elusive members of Lotus–Ambrish, Sid, Ankur, Asha, and Harsh .

My approach to design begins with the fundamental inquiry "How can I add value?". This question serves as a vital link between design and people, guiding my work towards enriching the lives of those who engage with the spaces I create. The studio’s values of gratitude, love, and curiosity have not only influenced my personal growth but also nurtured my commitment to continuous learning. Creativity, to me, is a spiritual expression, manifested in culinary experiments and my project "The Earth in Me", both of which serve to connect me to the environment and fulfil my creative aspirations.

I love that design has the ability to influence the user behaviours and that it’s something that can be used for the greater good. I derive energy from the interactions that take place during the design process and I find that I am always learning something new from my peers and mentors. I enjoy photography and sketching–this often helps me think of design from the point of framing views.

I think of architecture as an art expression that is not just to look at but to feel, live and breathe in. My approach centers on the 3 Cs—client, context, and culture. I love the constant learning from even the most casual, random conversations. If not at my PC, you’ll likely find me on Pinterest, drawing from travel, fashion, and people. My secret superpower is remaining calm on the outside, even when my mind feels like a whirlwind of chaos.

To me, the beauty of execution is where the real magic happens. I approach design like composing music—layering function, aesthetics, and precision until everything is in harmony. Not surprisingly, outside of work, music is my constant companion. It influences my rhythm of thought and often helps me find creativity. My secret superpower is being a jack of all trades—there's no "no" in my vocabulary.

I’ve always been drawn to architecture because it allows me to blend creativity with practicality, and to shape spaces that truly improve how people live and experience the world around them. My passion for travel and photography fuels my design thinking, encouraging me to create spaces that are rich in story and experience.

The idea of influencing people’s lives by creating better spaces and experiences is what draws me to the world of design. As a logistician who believes that design, in all its curves and technicalities, has the solution to the most complicated problems in the world, I always assert that modern design constraints require an unconventional approach. What I love most is collaborating with passionate individuals who share a love for design’s potential to improve the world. Outside work, I enjoy creating multimedia art and binge-watching scientific documentaries. My superpower? Being a morning person in a field of night owls.

The process and attention to detail, and how it further transpires to spaces that reflect experiences, emotions, and stories, draws me to the world of architecture. I believe that staying connected to nature is the greatest luxury. What I love most about my work is the endless learning and curiosity it offers, both professionally and personally. Outside of work, I enjoy sketching to calm myself that sparks and empowers my imagination. My secret superpower is being highly observant and mimicking others!

The potential for influence that the built environment has on people is incredibly fascinating and exciting to me. My design approach is inspired by functionality and my upbringing, with a strong focus on context and people. What I love most about my work is collaborating with passionate, like-minded people and seeing designs come to life. Reading influences how I communicate ideas and explore places. My secret superpower is unwavering determination.

The beauty of architecture for me lies in its ability to transform fleeting emotions into tangible art, creating experiences that resonate deeply. My design approach is influenced by how spaces evoke emotions and foster meaningful conversations. Nature, culture, and the stories behind each project shape my creative process, motivating me to blend context and creativity—values that align with Studio Lotus. Fuelled by food, driven by discovery, beyond the studio one can spot me clicking random frames, wrapped in a saree most probably!

When designing, I tend to focus most on the user's experience, and aim to make the most of available resources. I value collaboration over working solo. It’s extremely enriching seeing something I have designed actually come to life. Beyond the studio, I play the tabla, enjoy exploring places, galleries or food, and play a lot of football! I try to make sure that there’s never a dull moment in both my work and personal life.

I’m drawn to the power of an idea—to think something into existence and have it shape someone’s lived experience. I respond to the spirit of a place—its silences, tensions, and energy. My work seeks to converse with the site, not control it. I also read about finance, because design is visionary, but must be grounded in value. My secret superpower is being able to alter my voice, so well that I sometimes lose track of my original one.

In architecture, I like work which is exploratory in nature, be it material finishes, contextual approaches, new construction techniques, or even alternative structural systems. Outside work you can find me hanging with new people, going on trips, petting random dogs, or exploring new hip-hop artists. My secret superpower is that I’m able to make every photo of mine, however well clicked, look like a mugshot.

With 7 years of experience in residential, commercial, and hospitality design, I am a passionate and detail-oriented interior designer with a strong background in creating functional, timeless, and aesthetically pleasing spaces.

The collaborative spirit and openness at Studio Lotus make every day engaging and inspiring. I bring a sharp eye for detail and a calm, solution-oriented mindset that helps keep our financial operations smooth and reliable. I enjoy playing cricket—it helps me stay active, focused, and energized, both on and off the field.

I’m inspired by nature, local crafts, and new tech all at once. I like my work to feel rooted but also push boundaries—with purpose. Parametric design fascinates me for its ability to create innovative forms while traditional craftsmanship grounds my work in cultural authenticity. I’m a sports person through and through, basketball especially. Sports teach me rhythm, instinct, and how to read the room—just what good design needs. My superpower? Making people feel seen. I can talk to literally anyone—strangers become friends in minutes.

I love that I get to turn “mere ideas” into real spaces that people live in — it feels a bit like magic, just with more stardust and site visits. My design is influenced by minimalism, clean lines, and natural materials — basically the architectural version of “effortlessly stylish.” Travelling, café hopping, people-watching, and clicking way too many photos is what I enjoy outside of work. Café hopping gives me furniture ideas, travel gives me material inspiration, and people-watching helps me design spaces people can actually use well.

I’m an architect and designer who treats every project like a playground for ideas, materials, and styles, with my inspiration flowing from culture, art, and the pulse of everyday life. My superpower? Reading a space like a story, anticipating how it will feel before it even exists. When I’m not designing, you’ll find me wandering city streets, tasting new flavours, or dancing like nobody’s watching. These experiences sharpen my sense of scale, flow, and the human experience, and are what fuel my creativity.

I’m driven by the power architecture holds to shape the way people live, both collectively and individually, while engaging responsibly with the earth. I approach design as a process of continual questioning of the interdependencies that shape a project—allowing ideas to evolve as layered responses rather than one-dimensional solutions. Alongside architecture, my art practice enables me to perceive the world through multiple perspectives, attuned to what lies beyond the immediately visible. Grounded in explorations of identity, memory, and belonging, it helps me connect these ideas to built-spaces with greater sensitivity and intent, keeping form and feeling in constant dialogue.

Playing with intangibles through physical creations and the chance to learn from a wide range of perspectives is what I love about my work. I believe that design should bring happiness and an element of surprise to the users. My superpower? Pulling off a jam-packed weekend trip from Friday night to Monday morning, and returning to work fully energized. If I’m not traveling, I’m probably exploring a new food spot or befriending a random cat.

What I love most about our work environment is the People and the Culture. I am hard working; I like challenges and resolving them as I go. My strength is being the problem solver for the studio in all their tech endeavours. In my free time I enjoy playing cricket.

To me work is my passion, and I love the creative freedom that it allows me. I run with my intuition and imagination. I am most influenced by the physicality of the space I am designing — what message it delivers and how impactful that can be! Outside the office, I love painting, cafe hopping, travelling and meditation.

I love the human centric approach that design has the power to hold. Functionality, Frugality and Character are the pillars of my design approach. My superpower is my ability to hold conversations with any and everyone! I experiment across multiple fields of design, from event curations to installation to graphics.I believe they add a layered approach to how I look at a space, right from the overall look and feel to the tiniest details a user experiences.

My design influences combine context-responsive architecture and the careful articulation of details that shape spatial experience. My guilty pleasure is enjoying a cheese-chocolate-pineapple sandwich at Ahmedabad’s Manek Chowk. Outside of work, I am passionate about travelling and poetry. I travel to collect places, navigating and discovering them without relying on google maps. Writing poetry is my way of holding onto the feelings they leave behind.

I genuinely love the people I work with. The conversations, shared energy, and learning from each other make even long days enjoyable. I’m inspired by vintage design and objects made by people who truly cared — where time, craft, and intention are clearly felt in the final outcome. My secret superpower is working comfortably across scales — whether it’s something very large or extremely small, I enjoy designing it all. I also enjoy photography and painting, especially when I need to slow down or clear my head.

I love that architecture takes esoteric thoughts and transforms these ideas and emotions into lived spaces. I am drawn to architecture that is timeless, grounded, and deeply experiential. I respond quickly to change, and I love exploring new places and experiences. Observing everyday life, reading, and drawing on experiences through travel and conversation continue to shape my approach to architecture that is humane and emotionally resonant .

Stories have always been a central part of my life. From Alice in Wonderland to the Ramayana, narratives have shaped the way I see the world. I’m inspired by how different eras and cultures approach the built environment, and often draw on these stories to inform my design concepts. Travel has played a major role in shaping my love for design. Observing how people inhabit spaces and move through the world inspired me to study space as a medium for expressing human experience. A fun fact — I am infamous for my immunity to caffeine!

My design approach revolves around human behaviour and its response to the five senses, using a structured approach. I strive to keep work engaging and enjoyable, which helps to create a positive experience for both me and the people I collaborate with. Outside work, I stay active in sports and exercise to balance out my day. It helps me manage my stress, keep my mind clear, and lastly, brings discipline to all aspects of my life.

What I love most is having the opportunity to design spaces that help people align better with their purposes in life, which is a deeply fulfilling feeling. Outside the studio, I love exploring new cultures, observing people, and cooking. Cooking, especially, has become a creative outlet that sharpens my patience and precision. A fun fact about me is that I have an uncanny ability to read people with surprising accuracy. And my secret superpower? Somehow, the things I say tend to come true — often sooner than expected.

I am deeply influenced by designs that evolve around material strengths and sensitivity towards the context, meticulously detailed yet speaking through their simplicity. In my free time I travel. I am an absolute promoter of solo travelling. Also cycling anywhere and everywhere. Cycling gives me time to slow down and observe, to stop and sketch. In the process I am able to view spaces as a crossover of multiple patterns — patterns of daily life, contextual patterns, and the like.

I love to bridge the gap between the latest generative AI tools and traditional construction techniques to conceptualize innovative spaces. My architectural style is shaped by sustainable practices, traditional methods, and rich cultural heritage. Outside work, I enjoy playing chess, however, my ability to fall asleep at absolutely any point of the day is truly my secret superpower.

Turning ideas into practical, well-crafted spaces and seeing design come to life gives me great joy. I enjoy taking on challenging tasks that others often avoid and tend to focus on the satisfaction of solving complex problems. When I’m not working, painting, sketching, and handmade crafts sharpen my creativity and ability to visualise ideas before bringing them to life.

I enjoy working in our collaborative and open environment, where different teams come together with clarity, creativity, and purpose. My strength lies in bringing together data, automation, AI, and systems thinking—turning scattered information into structured, reliable systems. Outside the studio, gaming and long drive tours help me unwind and return with a fresh mindset.

I love that architecture gives us the opportunity to create spaces people eventually call home. I’m inspired by nature, travel, local art, and the unique character of every place. I enjoy creating designs that respond to their surroundings while feeling warm, timeless, and practical. Fun fact: I played football at a professional level, which taught me discipline and teamwork. In my free time, you will find me playing football or exploring new places—both of which have taught me to observe, adapt, and appreciate different environments and cultures which naturally influences the way I approach design.

I enjoy transforming ideas into meaningful spaces that balance creativity, functionality, and user experience. I am inspired by simplicity, timeless design, nature, and innovative materials that help create functional, elegant spaces. My secret superpower is finding practical solutions while staying calm under pressure.

I love that every project begins with people and their stories. Being able to craft spaces that weave those stories into everyday experiences is what makes this work meaningful to me. Fun fact: I can happily spend hours scrolling through my camera roll-it’s a wonderfully chaotic archive of people, travels, food, crafted spaces, interesting materials, and little details.My secret superpower? Turning chaos into clarity.

I like that design here is about shaping the question as much as the answer. The fun lies in going through a hundred iterative circles and somehow arriving somewhere better than where you started. I am inspired by speculative design and abstract ideas that make everyday things feel unfamiliar, and vice versa. I love people watching, and sketching with no destination, deadline, or real purpose.

I love turning ideas into spaces that people can experience and connect with. Inspiration for me is varied, often found in nature, vernacular architecture, and simple designs that respond thoughtfully to their surroundings. I naturally see compositions, light, and perspectives, often imagining how I’d shoot or sketch a space even when I’m not holding a camera. Outside of work, I enjoy sketching, exploring nature, travelling, discovering regional architecture, and making and editing travel films. These pursuits help me observe spaces more closely, appreciate local cultures, and tell meaningful design stories through visuals.