SML Architects is a Mumbai-based design studio working across interior design, architecture, furniture and objects.
We are interested in spaces that feel natural to their surroundings and to those who use them. Each project begins with an understanding of its context, its qualities and how it will be experienced. We look at what is already present and consider how it can inform the design.
Our work is rooted in proportion, texture and detail. We gravitate towards natural materials and tactile surfaces, allowing their inherent qualities to shape the atmosphere of a space. Furniture, lighting, objects and art are considered as part of the larger composition, bringing scale, individuality and presence to the spaces we create. We are interested in how art can become part of the identity of a space, working with artists, galleries and collectors to discover pieces that add depth and meaning.
We believe in taking a project from an idea to a finished space with the same attention to detail throughout. Working closely with craftsmen, makers and collaborators, we remain involved in the process of making, where much of the character of a project is ultimately found.
We look for a balance between permanence and change, creating spaces that feel resolved, yet leave room for life to unfold. The spaces we create are intended to feel personal and quietly distinctive, evolving naturally with the people and things that inhabit them.
Mahek Lalan is an architect and the founder of SML Architects.
He graduated in Architecture from NMIMS's Balwant Sheth School of Architecture, Mumbai, in 2012, and is a registered architect with the Council of Architecture, India.
Mahek founded SML Architects to develop a practice that could move fluidly between scales, from interiors and architecture to furniture and objects. He remains closely involved in every project, from the initial conversations and development of an idea through to its execution.
Alongside his practice, Mahek has taught architectural design at NMIMS's Balwant Sheth School of Architecture and ISDI Parsons, Mumbai, and has been an invited critic and jury member at architecture and design schools across India.
