Introduction: Celebrating Architects Who Listen

The Drafting Table India is Rezovate’s tribute to architects who craft spaces that resonate with people’s lives, weaving stories of connection and purpose. This series honors those who see architecture as a shared journey, not a solitary act. Today, we spotlight Collaborative Architecture, a Mumbai-based studio led by Lalita Tharani and Mujib Ahmed, whose work redefines design through participation and community.

Collaborative Architecture’s projects, from schools for orphans to visionary peace museums, are vital to feature for their heartfelt commitment to involving communities and pushing innovation. Their designs don’t just stand—they speak, carrying the voices of those they serve. In a world of top-down architecture, their participatory approach is a beacon of hope and creativity.

Namesake and Philosophy: A Collaborative Spirit

The name “Collaborative Architecture” is no coincidence—it’s a promise. Their design philosophy hinges on a participatory, community-driven approach, where every project is a dialogue with stakeholders, from children to cultural historians. This ethos ensures spaces reflect the needs, dreams, and identities of those who use them, making architecture a collective act of creation.

For the JDT Islam Primary School in Kerala, Collaborative held workshops with orphanage staff, children, and local villagers to shape a school that felt like home. Discussions revealed the need for open, airy spaces to inspire learning and a budget-friendly design using local bamboo and concrete. Villagers shared insights on climate, leading to shaded courtyards that kept classrooms cool. This inclusive process empowered the community, with local craftsmen building the school, fostering pride and economic gain.

Similarly, their competition entry for the Indian National Peace Museum involved consultations with peace advocates and historians to reframe a war museum as a space for harmony. Community input shaped its narrative-driven design, ensuring it resonated with India’s diverse voices. Their speculative Project Alpha, exploring 3D-printed housing, engaged underserved communities in workshops to ensure affordable homes matched local lifestyles, proving their commitment to listening at every scale.

An Overview: A Tapestry of Innovation

Founded in 2004 by Lalita Tharani and Mujib Ahmed, Collaborative Architecture began in Mumbai, drawing on their global experiences and local roots. With a design center in Calicut, Kerala, and a presence in Shanghai, they’ve built a reputation for innovative, sustainable design. Their portfolio spans schools, retail spaces, cultural landmarks, and speculative housing, each marked by a participatory spirit.

Their reach is impressive: over 20 years, they’ve earned more than 20 international awards, including the SEED Award 2012, NDTV-Grohe Award, and OFFICE NEXT 2016. They were finalists in global competitions like the Indian National War Museum (2016) and BCDA Iconic Tower (2017). With 2,497 LinkedIn followers and features in Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian’s “Designing Peace” series, ArchDaily, and Bluprint, Collaborative’s influence is both deep and wide.

The Common Thread: Participatory Innovation

Every Collaborative Architecture project pulses with participatory innovation—a commitment to co-creating spaces with communities while embracing cutting-edge materials and technologies. Whether it’s a rural school or a futuristic 3D-printed home, they involve stakeholders to ensure designs are culturally resonant and sustainable. This approach, paired with explorations like 3D printing and affordable materials, makes their work both accessible and visionary, transforming spaces into shared stories of purpose and progress.

Details of Their Work: Building with Heart

Collaborative Architecture’s portfolio is a testament to their participatory ethos. The JDT Islam Primary School in Kerala, built for an orphanage, used local bamboo and concrete to create an airy, sustainable learning space. Community workshops shaped its open courtyards, adding value by fostering inspiration for underprivileged children. Architecturally, designing a durable, low-cost school in a remote village was challenging, requiring creative material sourcing and simple construction techniques to stay within budget. The participatory process, while empowering, demanded time to align diverse voices, but Collaborative’s deft coordination earned it the SEED Award Honorable Mention.

The Indian National Peace Museum, a 2016 competition finalist, reimagined a war museum as a peace-focused space. Consultations with historians and peace advocates shaped its narrative-driven design, adding value by promoting unity. Architecturally, crafting a symbolic yet functional museum was complex, requiring spaces that balanced education and emotion. Aligning stakeholder visions for such a sensitive brief was a hurdle, but its inclusion in Cooper Hewitt’s “Designing Peace” series proves its impact.

Wedge-1 in Bangalore, a retail prototype for Stanley Lifestyles, won Architecture Israel’s Project of the Year 2012. Its flexible, modern layout, informed by client and user feedback, redefined retail experiences. Architecturally, creating a scalable prototype demanded balancing brand aesthetics with versatility, while innovative materials posed engineering challenges. Collaborative’s iterative design process delivered a space that’s both bold and practical.

Project Alpha, a speculative 3D-printed housing project, explores affordable homes through community workshops. Its focus on scalability adds value by addressing housing shortages. Architecturally, developing 3D-printed structures required pioneering new materials and methods, with challenges in ensuring durability and affordability. Collaborative’s participatory approach ensured designs met community needs, showcasing their visionary edge.

“Architecture is a shared story, woven with the voices of those it serves,” Lalita and Mujib reflect, guiding their collaborative designs.

Critically, Collaborative’s participatory approach is their strength, but its time-intensive nature can limit scalability for urban projects with tight deadlines. Their reliance on affordable materials, while sustainable, sometimes constrains material innovation. Yet, their ability to fuse community input with technologies like 3D printing is a masterstroke, creating architecture that’s both poetic and purposeful in a discipline often swayed by aesthetics alone.

Why Collaborative Architecture Stands Out

Collaborative Architecture shines for its participatory, innovative designs that empower communities. From the JDT Islam School’s rural impact to the Indian National Peace Museum’s global resonance, their work blends sustainability, technology, and human connection. Featured in Cooper Hewitt and Bluprint, their projects like Project Alpha push boundaries, making them leaders in community-driven architecture.

Explore More Participatory and Sustainable Design

Passionate about architecture that listens? Dive into Collaborative Architecture’s projects like Stacked Tectonics for community empowerment or Project Alpha for futuristic housing. Learn how their participatory approach transforms schools, museums, and urban spaces, offering inspiration for sustainable, inclusive design.

Conclusion: A Legacy of Shared Dreams

Collaborative Architecture, led by Lalita Tharani and Mujib Ahmed, crafts spaces that carry the heartbeat of communities. Their schools, museums, and visionary homes aren’t just buildings—they’re stories, co-written with the people they serve. From Kerala’s rural classrooms to global stages like Cooper Hewitt, they show that architecture can be a force for connection, innovation, and hope. Their legacy is a world where every space feels like it belongs.

We at Rezovate are proud to feature Collaborative Architecture in The Drafting Table India. Lalita and Mujib’s vision is a gift, reminding us that the best designs are those that listen. Here’s to a studio that builds not just spaces, but shared dreams.

Join Rezovate to celebrate more architectural visionaries. Have a favorite Collaborative Architecture project? Share it with us, and let’s keep the story growing!