World Architecture Day is a time to stop and think about the spaces that define our existence, our homes, offices, and cities and about how to appreciate the art of creating spaces that make a difference. For me, Sumit Dhawan, architecture has never been anything but about how to transmute spaces into experiences, and convert homes into sanctuaries that foster life, comfort, and aspiration.
Being an architect of more than two decades, I have noticed that modern living is no longer measured by aesthetics or size alone. Nowadays, it is all about intelligent design that reacts to lifestyle, climate, and culture. A house is no longer a building; it is a refuge where individuals live, interact, and develop. When creating such spaces, my intention has always been to meet functionality with feeling to make each room, corner, and detail speak to the life it will contain.
In modern practice, the issue is balancing innovation with people’s needs. Materials, technology, and intelligent systems provide fantastic opportunities, but the key to good design remains constant: it still has to be about people first. For example, huge open areas and smooth indoor-outdoor flow can provide a feeling of freedom, but they also have to be comfortable, sustainable, and livable. A house needs to inspire, but it needs to work seamlessly for its inhabitants.
Context, also, is at the heart of effective design. Climate, culture, and community determine a space’s feel and function. A building that appears breathtaking on a drawing board might not succeed if it doesn’t react to sunlight, wind, or the cadences of human activity. Through the years, I have discovered that careful reactions to those factors constitute architecture that endures. Homes that adapt to changing lifestyles, remain energy-efficient, and feel timeless are the ones that truly become part of people’s stories.
World Architecture Day serves as a reminder that architecture is not merely about buildings; it is about experience and wellness. It is about designing spaces that embrace individuality and at the same time create togetherness. Small things: the glow of natural light, the feel of a wall, the quiet contentment of a reading area are what make a house a home. These details are in some ways subtle, but they influence the way individuals live, work, and engage with their surroundings on a daily basis.
As we honor architecture around the world, it is also a time to think about responsibility. Architects can create communities, influence sustainability, and affect lives. To me, this sense of responsibility is a daily reminder to design with compassion, honesty, and kindness, to create every space I touch that will continue to motivate long after its walls are constructed.
On this World Architecture Day, I invite all to look at the possibility within their surroundings to appreciate well-thought-out design, to love spaces that foster life, and to acknowledge that architecture, at its finest, can turn everyday living into the extraordinary. Homes, after all, are not just shelters but are sanctuaries, and with thoughtful design, they can actually be little heavens in one’s life.
By Ar. Sumit Dhawan, Founder & Principal Architect, Cityspace’82 Architects
