InFORM Architects is a Bangalore-based studio started by Architect Kiran Venkatesh and Nithya Srinivasan in 1997. Widely acclaimed for a critical reframing of the boundaries of contemporary architecture, the firm has won various awards for excellence in design. InFORM espouses a strongly positive attitude towards the use of technology-driven design and construction processes. Context-based, tailor-made design solutions that are iconic, sustainable, and resonant are a strong point of the studio. The firm is known for engaging in architecture as a comprehensive response to client requirements, on-site constraints, and a purity of thought and expression.
1. PBS & Sons Office | InFORM Architects
A study in geometry and bold color, the PBSS Office in Hospet, Karnataka strikes an imposing figure. Sharp angles are complemented by a poetic layout of cabins, meeting rooms, and open spaces all bound within a complex framework of overlapping parallelogram solids. The red polycarbonate panels and black flooring create dynamic gradients of color and light within the office.
2. KS Residence
This internationally recognized project is perhaps one of the studio’s most ambitious in terms of the multiple personas it attempts to encapsulate. Home to a single family, the KS Residence is a minimalist experiment that reflects a deep understanding of form, material expression, and interior-exterior relationships.
3. Indian Institute Of Journalism And New Media | InFORM Architects
The IIJNM Campus in Bengaluru is designed to encourage interaction across ages, introspection, and nurture the spirit of inquiry. Wide walkways and ramps flow seamlessly into each other in this Y-shaped plan, with clearly mapped out functional zones off each arm.
4. Tillany Fine Arts Museum and Gallery
A composition in three bars, the 15,000 sq. ft. the gallery is a whimsical exploration of volume, space, light, and shadow. An adventure across levels and functions, this gallery in the village of Baliganapalli, Tamil Nadu houses works of art by underprivileged artists.
5. Vaishnavi Terraces Clubhouse | InFORM Architects
A playful yet sophisticated building on a triangular plot, the Clubhouse is a collage of dramatic overhangs, deep balconies, and appealing composition of fenestrations. The carefully crafted interior spaces allow for maximum social interaction in well-lit settings complemented perfectly by pockets of lush green.
6. NAAC Campus
A sweeping spine connects multiple programs across blocks at the NAAC Campus in Bangalore. A narration in multiple levels, the institution maintains a careful balance of visual connect and functional separation. It is rightly critically acclaimed for its almost metaphoric essence of sustenance, enlightenment, and cohabitation.
7. Virtus Green Space
The sprawling IT Park is one of the latest projects by InFORM. The contemporary design is illustrative of the kind of technology-driven design processes encouraged and espoused at the studio. It explores notions of creative and languid inter- and intra-office collaborations through expressions of vertical circulation.
8. Steer Engineering Office | InFORM Architects
The design of the corporate office of Steer Engineering is a reflection of its core brand value. The office wraps around the old factory building and exemplifies a ‘Plug-in’ through repetitive C-section forms throughout the interiors and sections of the office that homogenize the design and functional program.
9. Maharashtra National Law University – Competition Project
The design for the MNLU campus in Nagpur is a pure architectural expression of geological experience. The dense composition of sharp low- and mid-rise blocks separated by roads is intended to mimic canyons, with inclined walls towering over shaded pathways. In typical InFORM fashion, the design aims to encourage spontaneous interactions and fruitful journeys.
10. Jute Cottage Retail Interiors | InFORM Architects
The interiors at Jute Cottage, Bangalore provide a refreshing departure from the clichéd rustic theme of stores of this nature. The bold lines, colors, and accent features draw the attention of users without taking the spotlight away from the actual products on sale.
11. Ashoka A-la-Maison, Hyderabad
A sprawling community development project, Ashoka a la Maison boasts of expansive landscapes, luxurious villas, and state of the art amenities. The villas retain an elegant, sophisticated look through cleverly chosen material palettes and a strong common design language that unites without becoming monotonous.
12. Sir MVIT Library – Competition Entry
A proposal for the Sir MVIT Library by InFORM ventures to explore the continuity of objects and programs as a concept, translating to a continuous path of knowledge along which lie spaces are dedicated to books and informal learning. This conscious choice of organization encompassed in a spacious volume also runs through the exterior articulation.
13. Housing Tower One, ISB | InFORM Architects
A 20-storeyed residential building on the ISB Campus at Hyderabad, the Tower is a LEED Gold-Certified structure. The rhythmic facade of the building created by the various types of balconies is an expression of its layout, rather than being a mere extrusion, as is the case with many tall structures.
14. R Residence
The R Residence is defined by the singular looping curve that articulates the entirety of the built space. The loop creates a rhythmic sequence of function, fenestration, and furniture as it travels up to the highest level. Complete with a dynamic street-facing elevation and the promise of an interesting journey across multiple levels and terraces, this Bangalore house is truly unique.
15. VV Residence | InFORM Architects
An experiment in form and material, this home was designed for a young interior designer. The tightness of a plot set in a dense urban fabric is defied in the opulence of the spacious volumes and terraces of VV Residence. A purely contemporary form, the house has an atrium that unites across 3 floors and translates into the expression of the exterior as well.
References:
http://inform_architects.tripod.com/index.html
http://www.descroll.com/architecture/
https://www.tgfworld.org/tillany.html
https://www.commercialdesignindia.com/2592-importance-of-context-in-architecture
https://www.facebook.com/InFORMarchitects/photos/?tab=album&ref=page_internal
https://www.ifj.co.in/ifj-likes/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ad.573
http://inditerrain.indiaartndesign.com/2012/04/exercise-in-dynamics.html#gsc.tab=0
https://architecturelive.in/nithya-srinivasan-inform-architects-incite/
https://www.architectandinteriorsindia.com/lists/3306-nithya-srinivasan-kiran-venkatesh
https://www.homergize.com/projects/203
https://archinect.com/InFORMArchitects
https://www.zingyhomes.com/project-detail/inform-architects-_192/jute-cottage/
http://www.ashokaalamaisonannexe.com/
Architecture + Design Magazine, October 2018 Issue
https://www.wienerberger.in/green-building/why/indian-school-of-business.html
50 Beautiful Houses in India: Volume 3
