Safa Valley, Jammu – Shaping urban identity in the city

Introduction In 1995, three young architects from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, established Tevatia Chauhan & Sharma Architects, an architectural practice that excelled at developing individual family homes.

The practice was later rechristened Design Forum International (DFI) in 2003; the intention was to foster an egalitarian organizational ethos, where distinctive architectural talent would find self-expression and could contribute to a collaborative work environment.

DFI has, since, grown from strength to strength and is currently marching ahead with a vibrant team of over 100 professionals, each of whom pursues a distinctive value-based architectural spirit. Each piece of work that is undertaken is executed with a deep sense of optimism, excellence, and integrity, as a legacy for future generations.

While we play the role of an agent of change, our efforts are rooted in the principles of sustainable architecture and response to the local context. The prime objective is to achieve excellence in design, while perfectly balancing time and cost, with a commitment to emphasize communication and design for people and the environment.

We have won many accolades for our diverse oeuvre of work, emerging as an institution that attracts great design minds –people who love to thrive in a professionally-charged environment, while focusing on details and exploring new design methodologies for each project. 

DFI Portfolio Mixed-use and Retail: 11 Million sq. ft. Group Housing: 60 Million sq. ft. Master Planning: 3000 Acres Workspace: 8.5 Million sq. ft.

Design Philosophy Our habitats shape and influence our lives profoundly. As custodians of the built environment, which necessitates frequent interventions in the name of capacity up-gradation, we feel the need to emphasize the inclusion of contextuality and conservation in our thoughts and designs.

If words were a repository of thoughts and ideas, then our current thought process is captured thus: To play-INto the continuum as opposed to playing OUT an egoistic expression of Disruptive. To embellish with thoughtful contemporary interventions that echo the aspirations of our times, while discarding architectural vestiges.

To animate with meaningful newness; combining a problem-solving approach with sensitive and delightful Urban Artistry. To be reverent to the substantive context, both Immediate and the Cosmic. To pursue the practice of architecture with a Conscience – A Karmic Architecture that belongs to its PEOPLE and its PLACE.

Management Design Forum International is a young-old organization with more than 20 years of experience as an architectural practice. The firm is a vibrant mix of young and experienced professionals bounded by a common thread: the passion to design. DFI’s approach is not bounded by any school of thought and centers on novelty in design.

The firm employs a versatile approach, consciously staying clear of restrictions of project typologies, with work spanning domains such as residential, workplace, recreational, retail, master planning, hospitality, institutional, campuses, and civic. DFI holds vast industry experience, having delivered and being involved in over fifty million sq. ft. of residential, ten million sq. ft. of retail-cum-mixed use, ten million sq.ft. of the workplace, over five thousand acres of campuses, and institutions ranging from a 5-acre school to 500 acres of professional training colleges. At DFI, processes rule.

Workflow is pre-determined, pre-programmed and conveyed and stuck to with missionary zeal. The belief is that while people may falter, processes never do. A threadbare analysis of work sequencing and typology-based workbooks ensures a seamless process. DFI is a ‘people first’ organization, spotting talent early, and grooming it well. DFI believes that communication is the lifeline of every relationship, whether in business or life.

While the entire team assigned to a client is available for discussion and direction on a project, there is a singular point of contact for the client: the Head of the concerned team, a Director or an Assistant Director-level professional. It is a matter of pride that 65% of the practice’s order book is repeat assignments with satisfied clients. 

With work spanning across 17 Indian states, DFI is abreast of all regulations, bye-laws, trends, and market scenarios, pertinent to individual markets. Experiences drawn from one territory very frequently find parallels in another and enrich the knowledge base, bringing substantial value enhancement to projects.

The prospect of a competition excites us greatly; DFI has participated in many, winning a bulk of them. A few notable examples include the High Court at Uttarakhand, the Directorate Complex of Assam, the Select Citywalk mall in New Delhi, or the Civic Centre of the millennium city of Gurugram.

Website: https://www.designforuminternational.com/

K- 47, Kailash Colony,New Delhi – 110048, India