Growing up in the hills of Dehradun, Manas Bhatia often found himself captivated by the intricacies of natural forms. A fallen branch could inspire the design of a bridge, a wilted leaf the contours of a tunnel. These early imaginings may have been playful, yet were firmly formative - shaping his belief that the patterns and geometries inherent in nature could inform structural innovations in architecture. His fascination extended to organic phenomena like the spiralling symmetry of pinecones or the structural efficiency of termite mounds, planting the seeds for a design philosophy that would later germinate into his practice of architecture.
Bhatia’s approach to architecture is grounded in a belief that design must begin with inquiry; ensuring the ideation process does not impose a vision but allows questions to lead the way – making it a process of discovery rather than prescription. This reflective stance is apparent in his embrace of generative AI, which he approaches not with trepidation but with curiosity. AI, for Bhatia, is not an opponent of human creativity but an extension of it—a tool that allows him to access forms and ideas that would otherwise remain hidden. Yet, he is quick to stress that it is the architect’s intent and interpretative ability that breathe life into these digital explorations. Bhatia’s projects often weave together the organic and the synthetic, challenging conventions while still being rooted in the form and function equation.
To view the entire article Click Here
