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The project, a 2009 national competition winner, was designed as a zero-discharge green campus on steep, tree-covered terrain. Inspired by fashion design as an art form, the architects integrated the structure with its natural surroundings, mimicking agricultural patterns and Himalayan formations. The design respected site contours and existing trees—150 hostel rooms were created without cutting a single tree, using interlocking cubical forms and light courts that blend architecture with nature.

The 3200 sq.ft. Delhi Daredevils office features a striking installation made from 4-inch x 3-foot recycled wooden planks sourced from waste shipping pallets. Designed in collaboration with Steelcase, the workspace promotes flexible, collaborative working while maintaining individual desk identity. A dedicated conference room accommodates sponsor meetings and formal discussions, reflecting a blend of sustainability, creativity, and functionality in the office’s overall design.

For the 2014 IPL season, M:OFA Studios, led by Ar. Manish Gulati, redesigned the Delhi Daredevils office to reflect the team’s youthful energy and bold new identity. Inspired by the team’s logo, the dynamic workspace blends formal and casual zones, including the innovative “Think Tank Lounge”—a swirl-like structure symbolizing cricket strokes, crafted from recycled wood and steel, embodying creativity, teamwork, and sustainability.

Designed by M:OFA Studios, the IPL Delhi Daredevils office captures the energy and passion of cricket through dynamic spatial design. The semi-formal open plan encourages teamwork, with the standout feature being The Think Tank Lounge—a swirl-shaped installation inspired by batsmen’s strokes and stadium energy. Constructed from recycled shipping pallets, the space merges sport, creativity, and collaboration in a vibrant, fluid environment of reds, ambers, and greys.

Designed by M:OFA Studios in New Delhi, The Pensieve is an experiential pavilion symbolizing the fluid thoughts of childhood from the 80s–90s. Inspired by Delhi’s ruins, it uses 1,200 recycled shipping pallets to form contemplative stone-like walls filled with “drawers of memories.” Architect Manish Gulati describes it as a state of mind—a celebration of nostalgia, creativity, and the timeless human spirit of reuse and imagination.

Architect Manish Gulati, founder of M:OFA Studios and alumnus of CEPT Ahmedabad, believes true sustainability begins with a change in mindset. With over 15 years of experience, he emphasizes the importance of waste management, green building practices, and the need for stronger incentives to promote eco-conscious design. Gulati advocates architecture that evolves responsibly, integrating innovation with environmental harmony.

Designed by Ar. Manish Gulati of M:OFA Studios, the 3,200 sq. ft. Delhi Daredevils corporate office captures the team’s youthful, high-energy spirit. Located in Aria Towers, JW Marriott, the space reflects Delhi’s vibrant character through dynamic design elements like team merchandise displays, 3D graphics, sporty furniture, and ducting embossed with the brand name, creating an environment that radiates enthusiasm, identity, and motion.

Founded in 2002 by Manish Gulati and his wife Tanushree, M:OFA Studios was born from a belief that architecture should transcend rigid grids and dimensions. For Gulati, architecture is a fluid expression of life, embodying its complexity, simplicity, and paradoxes. Each project at M:OFA undergoes layered planning and interpretation, resulting in designs that pulse with movement, emotion, and vitality.

For the Delhi Daredevils’ new office, architect Manish Gulati of M:OFA Studios transformed the team’s dynamic new logo into a vibrant, youth-driven workspace. The 3,200 sq.ft. office embodies the energy of a packed stadium, with fluid, open layouts merging work, play, and meeting areas. The highlight — the “Think Tank Lounge” — features a swirling wooden installation inspired by a batsman’s strokes, symbolizing motion, passion, and teamwork.

Homes and offices reflect their inhabitants beyond décor. M:OFA Studios demonstrates this in the Delhi Daredevils head office, where courage and team spirit are embedded in spatial design. With evolving materials like structural aluminium and advanced flooring, technology expands creative possibilities while demanding responsibility. The iGen Design Forum reinforces how young designers’ innovation and idealism can shape a future where architecture truly makes a difference.

Ar. Manish Gulati of M:OFA Studio, a CEPT Ahmedabad alumnus, designed The Club House at Forest, Noida—an FSI-driven, partially subterranean recreation facility with a spa, bar, and gym. His Golden Tusk Resort near Jim Corbett exemplifies nature-centric tourism, integrating organic farming, animal husbandry, and sustainable living to foster harmony between built form and environment.

Founder of M:OFA Studios in 2002, Manish Gulati believes in “creating architecture with a soul.” His vision focuses on crafting contemporary, innovative designs that place India on the global architectural stage. When not designing, he relaxes by experimenting with his own food recipes. In this issue, he shares insights into his monsoon-inspired spa project in New Delhi titled “Rain Rituals.”

Designed by M:OFA Studios, The Golden Tusk Resort in Ramnagar offers urban travellers an immersive countryside experience rooted in coexistence with nature. Near Jim Corbett National Park, it blends contemporary cottages with animal farms and organic gardens, encouraging sustainable living and reconnection with the natural environment through architecture and activities.

M:OFA Studio designed the Monsoon Salon and Spa as a tranquil retreat that captures the essence of the monsoon through colours, textures, and lighting. Inspired by the refreshing calm after the first rains, the space evokes serenity and renewal. Located in an upscale neighbourhood, it offers an escape from urban stress.

The NIFT Kangra campus in Himachal Pradesh is a sustainable, contour-hugging design that preserves existing banyan, mango, and silver oak trees. Intersecting cuboids interpret fashion as art, while the girls’ hostel and light courts create shifting positive and negative spaces. Circulation mimics organic village streets, fostering fluid interaction between students, landscape, and nature.

M:OFA designed a pavilion using recycled wood, inspired by the free and imaginative thoughts of children. The structure evokes simpler times, encouraging visitors to engage with the world beyond digital screens. It serves as a space for reflection, creativity, and play, emphasizing sustainability through the use of recycled materials while celebrating childhood curiosity and unobstructed thinking.

The Durian Society Interiors Design Competition and Awards 2014 North Zone jury session was held on January 22 at Durian Industries, New Delhi. The jury included Manish Gulati (M:OFA Studios) alongside other eminent architects and designers, who reviewed entries from Delhi, Chandigarh, Ajmer, and Jaipur, selecting the top two winners in each category after four hours of discussion.

Manish Gulati, Principal Architect and Director of M:OFA Studios, views architecture as a fluid, life-like expression beyond rigid grids and conventions. With 14 years of experience, he leads M:OFA’s holistic approach across architecture, interiors, and urban design, creating innovative, context-sensitive, forward-looking projects that challenge norms while harmonizing with their environment.

Manish Gulati, founding principal of M:OFA, sees architecture as an ever-evolving organism where rules must be mastered before reimagining them. Expanding from residences to international stadiums, the firm blends research, intuition, and sustainability to create cohesive, innovative environments, exemplified by the futuristic Noida apartment and the ITM School of Business, Gwalior.

M:OFA Studios crafts interiors that fuse modern minimalism with classical and artisanal detail. Rusted steel and weathered wood pair with earthy greens, yellows, indigos, turquoises, and rusts. Gold or bronze accents, jointless acrylic furniture, geometric/oriental sheers, metallic-thread fabrics, Swarovski-studded headboards, Roman blinds, pastel rugs, and Kintsukuroi-inspired detailing highlight craftsmanship and material tactility.