M-Connect: Celebrating architectural excellence & innovation episode 2 - The architecture of identity

In architecture, identity is more than a signature - it is memory, culture, and lived experience etched into every space. Episode 2 - The Architecture of Identity - brings together Manish Kumat, Manish Gulati, and Shilpi Sonar as they reveal how timeless design emerges when selfhood meets structure

BRAND CONNECT | PAID POST

Published: Aug 22, 2025 05:36:43 PM IST

Updated: Aug 22, 2025 06:18:18 PM IST

L to R: Manish Kumat, Principal Designer, Manish Kumat Design Cell; Shilpi Sonar, Founder & Designer, Shilpi Sonar Creations; and Manish Gulati, Founding Partner & Architect, MOFA Studios

When it comes to architecture, the identity of a structure is more than a signature - its DNA is formed in memory, culture, and lived experience, etched into every line and space.

M-Connect: Celebrating Architectural Excellence & Innovation — a campaign by Forbes India in collaboration with Marmo Solutions—is a multi-episode series which shines a spotlight on the people behind remarkable designs. Through candid conversations with 45 architects and designers, the series unravels how personal histories and philosophies shape timeless spaces.

The second episode, The Architecture of Identity, brought together three design leaders whose work reflects how selfhood and space intersect: Manish Kumat, Principal Designer, Manish Kumat Design Cell; Manish Gulati, Founding Partner & Architect, MOFA Studios; and Shilpi Sonar, Founder & Designer, Shilpi Sonar Creations.

For Manish Kumat, timelessness lies in simplicity and draws inspiration from nature. His boutique Indore-based practice is on a mission to evolve a complex matrix of design that’s deeply Indian, contemporary, modern and minimalistic and fuse all these elements together to cater to modern lifestyles. “Every project is about context and timelessness. We minimize artificiality and let nature define experience,” he explained, noting his current focus on reviving Indian arts and crafts.

Manish Gulati’s narrative is bolder and more non-conformist. For him, identity is shaped by disruption and the courage to question norms. “I am always looking to create for the future,” he said. At the same time, he recalls how stories from his childhood informed his design problem-solving. His projects, which range from parametric public buildings to campuses, where not a single tree was felled, balance tradition and innovation, and seek to reflect the identity of the entire ecosystem wherein they reside.

Shilpi Sonar, meanwhile, embodies dynamism and classical flamboyance. For over three and a half decades, she has redefined interiors across central India, often infusing her work with creative materials and elements, like gold leafing, wood, and inlay craftsmanship. “My style has always been regal,” she reflected, noting her journey from battling gender bias in Raipur to pioneering interior design in the region. Today, her signature blends classical elegance with stylish lifestyle.

Each of these iconic architects showed how their craft goes beyond structure. They recounted how it can be a reflection of identity, a bridge between tradition and change and a story told in form, context and space.

As the act of designing becomes deeply personal, M-Connect—Presented by Forbes India and powered by Marmo Solutions—continues to open a window into the passion, philosophy, and purpose of India’s design visionaries.

The pages slugged ‘Brand Connect’ are equivalent to advertisements and are not written and produced by Forbes India journalists.