Inscapes: Designing Harmony – The Visionary Architecture of Tejaswini Mistri-Kapoor
Tejaswini Mistri-Kapoor is an architect whose journey is deeply rooted in a profound love for design and a steadfast commitment to sustainable living. Her career spans over two decades, during which she has successfully integrated her passions for nature, community, and innovative architecture. Through her firm, Inscapes, based in Auroville, Tamil Nadu, Tejaswini has established herself as a designer in creating spaces that not only meet functional needs but also enhance the well-being of their inhabitants and respect the natural environment.
Background and Motivation:
From a young age, Tejaswini was fascinated by the interplay of form, function, and space. This fascination was more than a passing interest; it was a deep-seated passion that drove her to spend countless hours sketching designs and imagining innovative structures. Her early aspiration to study psychology was redirected towards architecture due to her keen eye for design and the realization of architecture’s potential to shape society and address social and environmental challenges.
Tejaswini’s professional journey began in Auroville, an international township in southern India dedicated to human unity and sustainable living. For the past 22 years, she has been immersed in Auroville’s unique environment, which profoundly influenced her approach to architecture. Auroville’s principles of conscious living and holistic design instilled in her a deep appreciation for the harmony between nature and the built environment. This foundational experience laid the groundwork for her future endeavors in architecture and design.
Founding Inscapes:
Living and working in Auroville, Tejaswini was surrounded by innovative and experimental architectural practices. Her professional growth was significantly shaped by her work with renowned architect Suhasini Ayer. Under Ayer’s mentorship, Tejaswini gained invaluable experience working on a diverse range of projects, from residences to community centers and educational institutions. These experiences honed her skills and deepened her understanding of sustainable and community-centric design.
In 2011, inspired by her experiences and the principles of Auroville’s architecture, Tejaswini founded her design studio, Inscapes. Her vision was to create spaces that harmonize with their environment, enhance human experience, and foster a sense of community. Inscapes quickly gained recognition for its innovative and sustainable designs, reflecting Tejaswini’s commitment to creating spaces that serve functional needs while nurturing the well-being of their inhabitants.
Expansion into Furniture Design:
In 2012, Tejaswini expanded her creative pursuits by launching Woodscapes, a furniture-making brand in Auroville. This venture was inspired by a natural disaster—a cyclone that felled numerous trees in the area. Seeing an opportunity to repurpose the wood, Tejaswini turned the disaster into a chance for sustainable creativity. Her furniture designs are characterized by minimalism, the use of natural materials, and a profound respect for the environment. She draws inspiration from George Nakashima, whose philosophy of honoring the natural beauty and imperfections of wood resonates deeply with her.
Impact on Society:
Tejaswini’s approach to architecture is holistic, viewing it as more than just the creation of physical structures. She believes that architecture has the power to shape social dynamics, cultural expression, and the quality of life for individuals and communities. Her projects aim to influence these aspects positively by incorporating sustainable practices and human-centered design. Through her work, Tejaswini addresses environmental challenges and promotes well-being, ensuring that her designs contribute meaningfully to society.
Specialization and Approach:
Tejaswini specializes in sustainable architecture and design, with a focus on energy efficiency, natural light, and green spaces. Her approach involves several key strategies:
- Integrative Design Process: This involves collaborative planning that integrates social, environmental, and economic factors. By involving all stakeholders from the outset, Tejaswini ensures that the final design reflects a holistic understanding of the project’s impact.
- Sustainable Practices: Tejaswini is committed to creating resource-efficient buildings. She incorporates energy-efficient technologies, solar passive principles, high-performance insulation, and renewable energy sources such as rooftop solar panels. Additionally, her designs include water-saving technologies like rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, and drought-resistant landscaping.
- Human-Centered Design: Ensuring the comfort, health, and well-being of occupants is a central tenet of Tejaswini’s work. She considers factors such as natural lighting, ventilation, acoustics, and thermal comfort. For larger projects, she involves the local community in the planning process to ensure the design meets their needs and enhances their quality of life through public consultations, surveys, and participatory design workshops.
- Nature Integration: Tejaswini integrates natural elements into her designs to connect occupants with nature. This includes features like green roofs, living walls, indoor plants, and the use of natural materials. Her designs are responsive to the local climate and geography, optimizing natural light and ventilation while minimizing the environmental footprint by preserving existing ecosystems and biodiversity.
Struggles and Learnings:
One of the significant challenges Tejaswini has faced is balancing creativity with the demands of business. Financial management and finding clients who share her philosophy of balancing human-nature-economy in projects are ongoing struggles. She navigates these challenges through holistic planning and sustainable practices, developing resilience and patience over time. Personally, these experiences have strengthened her confidence in her creative abilities and decision-making.
Key Projects:
Among her many projects, the Golven Beach Resort in Vengurla stands out as particularly significant. Located in an ecologically sensitive area within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), the project involved careful placement of structures to preserve the dunes while ensuring unobstructed ocean views. The use of local materials like laterite, bamboo, and thatch allowed for a design that avoided cement, emphasizing the importance of sustainable practices and innovative design solutions.
Versa Drive Campus in Coimbatore inculcates regional architectural elements, at the same time expresses the minimalistic aspect of it to achieve the optimal industrial setup. The whole building complex has two courtyards with elegant water surrounded by functional spaces for testing, production, research and development, stores, conference hall, and administration. The design is in line with company’s philosophy who themselves believe in creating sustainable and energy efficient product.
In Kang’s Residence, Vellore, spatial manifestations spawn the notion of objective and subjective contemplation of beauty of the site and are achieved by geriatric users without any effort while users are inside the house. The idea of architectural cane has been manifested into this house very subtly so that the geriatric users feel independent. The other highlight of this project is rain water harvesting and solar active and passive features.
Future Prospects:
Tejaswini is optimistic about the growing trend towards sustainable architecture. She stresses the need for genuine commitment to environmental principles, beyond superficial greenwashing. Her future projects will continue to prioritize sustainability, community well-being, and innovative design, striving to make a significant impact on the built environment.
Client Relationships:
Understanding client psychology is crucial for Tejaswini. She collaborates closely with clients, treating them as team members and ensuring their needs and values are reflected in the designs. This mutual trust and alignment with the architectural vision are essential for successful projects, resulting in spaces that evoke positive emotions and enhance well-being.
Advice to Budding Architects and Designers:
Tejaswini encourages aspiring architects to remain curious and continuously explore new materials and styles. She emphasizes the importance of empathy, environmental respect, and human-centered design. She advises embracing technological advancements like AI without losing touch with creativity and intuition. Her message is to never stop asking questions and to always design with intention, integrity, and imagination, creating spaces that enhance well-being and foster community.
Tejaswini Mistri-Kapoor’s journey as an architect and entrepreneur showcases her unwavering commitment to sustainable living and community-focused design. At Inscapes, she drives positive transformation in the built environment, adhering to principles of sustainability, inclusivity, and human-centered design. Her work exemplifies how architecture can elevate lives and coexist with nature, forging a path toward a brighter future.
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