‘If It Can’t Have a Garden, We Won’t Do It’: Shibanee & Kamal Architects’ Garden-Centric Homes in Bangalore
In the heart of Bangalore, one of India’s fastest-growing and densest cities, Shibanee & Kamal Architects are rewriting the rules of residential design. Their mantra is clear:
“If it can’t have a garden, we won’t do it.”
This isn’t a marketing tagline—it’s a fundamental design philosophy. Unlike conventional urban housing, which often prioritizes maximum built-up area over livability, this studio treats gardens as essential spatial, environmental, and emotional drivers of every project.
The result is a portfolio of homes that aren’t just structures—they’re ecosystems, blending architecture, nature, and human experience seamlessly.
Gardens as Core Design Drivers
At Shibanee & Kamal Architects, gardens are never an afterthought. They are the starting point for design, influencing:
- Massing and layout: Staggered buildings and L-shaped units allow maximum light, airflow, and garden access.
- Circulation: Corridors and stairs are designed around garden spaces, enhancing natural ventilation and visual openness.
- Unit typology: Duplexes, townhouses, and apartment units are all oriented to prioritize garden views and access.
- Green roofs and terraces: Planted rooftops serve as recreational space, passive cooling surfaces, and biodiversity zones.
Instead of simply decorating the built environment, gardens define it, creating a sense of serenity, connection to nature, and a microclimate that reduces energy usage.
Urban Density Meets Biophilic Design
Bangalore faces a unique urban challenge: densely populated neighborhoods and skyrocketing real estate prices. In such conditions, green spaces are rare and often sacrificed for floor space.
Shibanee & Kamal Architects counter this trend with biophilic urbanism, integrating nature into dense plots through:
- Courtyards and indoor gardens
- Private terraces and rooftop greenery
- Strategic plant placement for passive cooling and noise reduction
- Ecological restoration within housing sites
This approach not only enhances human wellbeing—reducing stress and improving health—but also mitigates urban heat island effects, increases biodiversity, and improves air quality.
Architect-Led Development: Preserving Design Integrity
One of the most remarkable aspects of the studio’s philosophy is vertical integration of architecture and construction. After experiencing design compromises with third-party developers, Shibanee & Kamal established Total Environment, their own development arm.
This model ensures:
- Original garden-centric designs remain intact
- High-quality materials and construction techniques are used
- Projects are delivered without sacrificing environmental and spatial goals
Kamal Sagar explains, “The only way to make it work is to find a piece of land, then design, build, and sell it ourselves. It won’t work any other way.”
This architect-led approach is rare and demonstrates design authority combined with execution capability, ensuring long-term sustainability and resident satisfaction.
Case Study: Windmills of Your Mind
Windmills of Your Mind is a flagship project that embodies the studio’s philosophy. Located in central Bangalore, the high-rise development integrates extensive greenery despite the urban density:
- Gardens accessible from every room
- Rooftop terraces with planting
- Courtyards within each unit
- Staggered layouts that maximize light, airflow, and privacy
Remarkably, Kamal Sagar notes:
- “At Windmills of Your Mind, we have more green on the land than when we first built the buildings.”
This is a net-positive landscaping model, where the development enhances the site’s ecological value rather than merely occupying it.
Timeless Design Philosophy
The studio also emphasizes “timeliness design”, creating homes that remain functional, relevant, and aesthetically appealing for decades.
Benefits include:
- Reduced need for frequent renovations
- Lower embodied carbon over the building’s lifecycle
- Strong emotional attachment from residents
- Long-term environmental sustainability
This personal, human-centered design ethos is informed by the founders’ lifelong connection to nature, literature, and dream-like landscapes.
Global Context: Comparing Garden-Centric Approaches
While the firm operates primarily in India, their approach resonates globally. Similar principles are observed in:
- WOHA, Singapore: Vertical gardens in dense urban high-rises
- Studio Mumbai, India: Integration of traditional materiality with landscape
- Heatherwick Studio, UK: Curved, planted roofs in urban developments
- Bjarke Ingels Group, Denmark: Mixed-use projects with environmental and biophilic integration
Shibanee & Kamal’s methodology demonstrates that garden-centric, biophilic residential design is both feasible and desirable in contemporary urban contexts.
Future of Urban Housing: Lessons from Shibanee & Kamal
As urban density increases worldwide, Shibanee & Kamal Architects offer a blueprint for sustainable, human-centered, and ecologically positive housing:
- Gardens as spatial and environmental anchors
- Architect-led development to maintain design integrity
- Biophilic design for mental and physical wellbeing
- Net-positive landscaping for ecological resilience
- Timeless design ensuring long-term occupant satisfaction
Their mantra—“No garden, no project”—is both a philosophy and a call to action for architects, developers, and urban planners seeking to create green, livable cities.
