People
Functional Forms is a architecture and design firm registered under the Auroville foundation with Shama Dalvi and Monica Tobar as executives. Shama is a registered architect with 20 + years experience in building homes & creating landscapes while Monica is a graphic designer with 10 years experience who dabbles repeatedly, successfully in interiors.
With a staff of 4, we are a small firm as passionate about the processes used to materialize ideas as developing the concepts themselves. Enjoying working together, we set high standards in our processes and outputs and work towards achieving them through a well organized system of accountability and responsibility allocation.
As a team turning ideas into reality, we focus on creating spaces that people will love to experience and be a part of.
People
Functional Forms is a architecture and design firm registered under the Auroville foundation with Shama Dalvi and Monica Tobar as executives. Shama is a registered architect with 20 + years experience in building homes & creating landscapes while Monica is a graphic designer with 10 years experience who dabbles repeatedly, successfully in interiors.
With a staff of 4, we are a small firm as passionate about the processes used to materialize ideas as developing the concepts themselves. Enjoying working together, we set high standards in our processes and outputs and work towards achieving them through a well organized system of accountability and responsibility allocation.
As a team, we focus on creating spaces that people will love to experience and be a part of. Besides the enthusiastic interns that join us regularly, bringing in a fresh energy, we have also had dogs, cats, birds and turtles pitching in at our office.
Process
At Functional Forms, we like to do more than design – we like to listen and will happily spend time listening to your thoughts about your dream project and expectations. What this translates into is that a special effort is made in eliciting unspoken requirements and considerable time and energy spent in detailed questioning and listening to your aspirations in terms of the eventual use of the building. We spend a good amount of time preparing for the project by conceptualizing & developing ideas together with you as part of our user-centric approach to designing. This in turn ensures that concerns and wishes are fully addressed and best possible ways used to bring them in the design.
Strengths
At Functional Forms, we help you see the bigger picture and look beyond the immediate requirement brief to design buildings and landscapes that fit your lifestyle, interests, purpose and functions. We remain involved in your project from conceptualizing to completion, ensuring that the design intent comes through in the completed space; creating a distinct style focused on simple form and function, striking a balance between beautiful aesthetics and sustainable design.
- Alternative construction techniques that we have used in our projects make efficient use of the project finances and cutting down construction time while being distinctly environmental friendly
- We have successfully implemented storm water management and rain water harvesting systems in our projects.
- When we design landscapes and gardens we aim at creating ecosystems where several species or environments are developed to support each other – having lesser dependency on manual or mechanical upkeep of the spaces.
- For recycling & reusing waste water, we have implemented simple anaerobic as well as aerobic systems for varying scale of projects.
- We are particularly strong in our understanding of building services (electricity, plumbing, sewage) which enables us to design more efficient and easier maintained spaces.
- Alternative construction techniques that we have used in our projects make efficient use of the project finances and cutting down construction time while being distinctly environmental friendly
- We have successfully implemented storm water management and rain water harvesting systems in our projects.
- When we design landscapes and gardens we aim at creating ecosystems where several species or environments are developed to support each other – having lesser dependency on manual or mechanical upkeep of the spaces.
- For recycling & reusing waste water, we have implemented simple anaerobic as well as aerobic systems for varying scale of projects.
- We are particularly strong in our understanding of building services (electricity, plumbing, sewage) which enables us to design more efficient and easier maintained spaces.
Auroville
There is a growing interest in ecologically sensitive development and Auroville is well known throughout the world for its work in the fields of sustainable development, alternative building technologies, energy efficient building designs, regeneration of land and water management. But Auroville is also about working with higher ideals and values. Participation through meaningful work is an essential aspect of living in Auroville. Everyone is expected to take up an activity that corresponds to the needs of the community in harmony with the capacities, priorities and needs of each individual.
As part of Auroville, our aim is to do business in a different way, and is reflected by the importance placed on our relationship with the workers and clients. The aim is to express through our work, created and produced in an environmentally friendly way – beauty and perfection. To be a living symbol of Auroville towards India and to the World at large.
Auroville
There is a growing interest in ecologically sensitive development and Auroville is well known throughout the world for its work in the fields of sustainable development, alternative building technologies, energy efficient building designs, regeneration of land and water management. But Auroville is also about working with higher ideals and values. Participation through meaningful work is an essential aspect of living in Auroville. Everyone is expected to take up an activity that corresponds to the needs of the community in harmony with the capacities, priorities and needs of each individual.
As part of Auroville, our aim is to do business in a different way, and is reflected by the importance placed on our relationship with the workers and clients. The aim is to express through our work, created and produced in an environmentally friendly way – beauty and perfection. To be a living symbol of Auroville towards India and to the World at large.