Born out of a shared commitment to a process-driven and exploratory approach to design and construction.
Red Brick Studio, founded in 2011 by design school classmates Anil Poduval and Ankur Kothari, was born out of a shared commitment to a process-driven and exploratory approach in which design and construction inform one another, and no answer is accepted before it has been tested.
United by a clear vision and relentless curiosity, they challenged each other to push creative boundaries. The studio's ethos is rooted in honesty, passion, and a pursuit of innovation, while embracing sustainability and advancing design technologies.
Our practice moves easily across scale and purpose, from the most intimate of settings to projects of real size and complexity—each commission seen as a purposeful blend of function and aesthetics. Red Brick Studio continues to evolve by treating every project as an opportunity to learn, adapt, and craft meaningful, enduring spaces.
THE TEAM
Ankur Kothari
Co-FounderA University of Pune graduate (2007), Ankur Kothari began his career in Pune training under the expert guidance of Architect Rahul Rawat and trained in Auroville at the Earth Institute. This experience led to shaping his foundation in a sustainable approach through appropriate materials and alternative construction methods.
Good design, he believes, begins with what a place can honestly offer, where material, technique and climate meet. As principal architect, he brings a firm grasp of project costing, and an instinct for where a budget is best spent. This discipline carries ideas to the site intact, resourceful but never austere.
Anil Poduval
Co-FounderThe smallest brief, Anil Poduval believes, deserves the same care as the largest. A graduate of the University of Pune (2007), he began his career in Bangalore before working in Dubai, and returned to India in 2010. His experience ranges from small holiday cottages to large specialty hospitals.
Also a principal architect of the studio, he keeps a global outlook firmly rooted in each project's own context. He brings a meticulous eye to project management, documentation and the design process, believing a well-kept record and a clear process carry an idea faithfully from the first sketch to the finished building.
A studio is only as good as the conversations inside it. Ours are built on curiosity and honest questioning, where an idea is weighed on what it does for the project and not on who proposed it. We value systematic inquiry as much as instinct, and we treat a mistake as information. Every project ends with a pause to ask what we learned and what we would do differently.
The people who join us tend to listen well, think carefully, and care about the details no one else may notice. They are encouraged to explore, to challenge, and to grow with the practice. Together, we try to keep the studio the way it began: two classmates pushing each other further, now a team doing the same.
Context is the Foundation
We believe architecture begins with deep listening: to the land, the climate, the culture, and the people it serves. No two sites are alike, and neither should two buildings be. Our design process is deeply rooted in an understanding of each project's physical and social context, allowing us to create environments that are not only functional but also inherently authentic and timeless. We study how light moves across a site, how seasons shape its rhythms and routines, and how communities have lived, gathered and worked within it over generations. Whether it is responding to a coastal breeze, referencing local craftsmanship, or navigating the tight constraints of dense urban settings, we use context as both a guide and an inspiration, ensuring our work feels anchored, not imposed. Each place quietly tells us what it truly needs, and our task is to respond with sensitivity and care, listening first and designing second.
.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
Form Follows Intention
(Not Just Function)
Function is essential, but it is intention that elevates design. Every project we undertake begins with a clear and considered purpose: a vision that goes beyond solving spatial problems to create a truly meaningful and memorable experience. Before form takes shape, we ask what a space is meant to do, who it is meant for, and how it should make people feel when they enter, linger and leave. Our approach embraces clarity in form, restraint in materiality, and honesty in structure, while thoughtfully weaving in poetic moments that invite curiosity, reflection, and quiet delight. Every line, material, and junction is carefully considered, so nothing is arbitrary and everything contributes meaningfully to the whole. It is not about aesthetics that flourish for their own sake; it is about creating spaces that resonate deeply, evoke genuine feelings, and tell a story with intention and grace, long after the first impression has passed.
Sustainable Thinking & Advocacy
From passive design strategies to efficient building systems and low-impact materials, sustainability is deeply embedded in our process, not added as an afterthought. Good design must always be responsible, thoughtful and forward-looking. We strive toward a clear set of design metrics that guide our decisions by considering the economic, social, environmental and lasting consequences of each choice. The firm's collaborative design culture integrates curiosity, systematic inquiry, and sustained innovation to create contextually appropriate solutions across every project. The studio envisions playing a meaningful and active role in educating and advocating for sustainable design practices and contextually appropriate building technologies, not only across the architectural and construction industries but also within the broader public realm. Through regular workshops, public exhibitions, and community engagement, the aim is to foster greater awareness, bridge practice and pedagogy, and contribute meaningfully to a more informed, responsible, and climate-responsive built environment for the generations that follow.