Global Outlook, Indian Roots

Monarch Champaneri is a history buff inspired by historical monuments for their cultural relevance and scale. This continued obsession since his student days led him to pursue a master’s in architecture from the University of Illinois. After gaining international experience and expertise in architecture, he co-founded OpenIdeas Architects with Nilesh Gajera and NiraleeChampaneri in 2009.

For Champaneri, design is a way of life. “Anything that makes life easier, simpler and aesthetically beautiful is design for me. It is an omnipresent phenomenon in which we live,” he says.

The design studio always tries to get on the same wavelength as its clients with respect to their aspirations. Backed by research and case studies, it tries to balance the rational and creative aspects of designs—whether it’s at the concept level or detailing level.

With resilience and hard work, OpenIdeas has carved a niche for itself in the strong architectural landscape of Ahmedabad. “There was initial resistance to many of our ideas, but slowly we overcame that with better detailing, site executions and technological integration,” says Champaneri.

Hive, an internationally acclaimed house in Surat, is its flagship project because of its unique metal kinetic façade system and mono-volume structural design. Another landmark project is Link House in Ahmedabad where three residential units are linked into one building mass. This design strategy resulted in creating interesting volumes, architectural elements, varied landscape features and a bold new approach toward single family homes.

As it continues to grow, OpenIdeas would like to be a part of India’s growth with its work having a global outlook while keeping its Indian design roots, with underlying tones of sustainability and technology.

By Kamayni