There is no single bigger adversity facing humankind than the environmental challenges of global warming, biodiversity loss, and waste. We are standing at a crossroads and architecture is not the answer in isolation, but it is a part of the solution. Studio SAAR has the ambition to create sustainable solutions for society and propelled by a strong interest in cross-cultural sharing of ideas, methodologies and technologies.

We work to some simple principles to realise these aspirations:

Embedding social value
In projects big and small, an environmentally and socially-centred design process delivers architecture embedded with meaningful social value – for people, communities and the environment beyond

Creating wellbeing
Studio Saar believes that spaces should empower the people experiencing them – lifting spirits, inspiring and building confidence. For us, the qualitative metrics of wellbeing are as important as the quantitative measurements of architectural success.

Cultural exchange
We bring a distinctive and valuable multicultural perspective to architecture. Through researching new materials, innovative environmental solutions or new approaches to urbanism the practice learns from the cultural stories of both the UK and India.

Today’s vernacular
Studio Saar’s architecture is rooted in an understanding of the importance of people, culture and place. Wherever in the world, our approach interprets vernacular traditions through a contemporary lens to deliver innovative, relevant and beautiful design solutions.

A dual-national perspective on sustainability
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution to the world’s environmental challenges, and we believe that technology doesn’t always have the answer. From design that ‘nudges’ users towards greater awareness of energy and water usage to research into the lifecycles of materials and buildings, the practice’s approach on sustainability is underpinned by systems thinking.

The art of making
The iterative evolution of the design process – from sketchbook to modelmaking and from carpentry studio to construction site – is key to our approach.
The act of making runs as a thread throughout our design development, expanded through in-depth dialogue with artisans and craftspeople. Ultimately it is communicated in the practice’s buildings as a joyful expression of tectonics and shared endeavour.

Thresholds and in-between space
No building is an island and our thinking extends beyond the building envelope to the sequences of transitionary threshold spaces that introduce architecture to context. Within buildings, too, in-between spaces are of particular importance to us, creating areas of connection, chance encounters and transitions that are crucial to the way people feel and experience space and community.