MAY 2016: The relentless summer sun beating down on helpless citizens, temperatures soaring higher every year, refrigerators filled with bottled reprieve and the drone of a million ACs completely taking over the silence of the night. Two young architects, Keerthana Vijayan and Dhruva Devanand, sickened by this artificially manipulated way of living and longing for the summers spent at the naturally cool ancestral homes of their grandparents, decided that enough was enough and that they'd had it with these brick and concrete ovens sold as houses today!

​So they rolled up their sleeves and went to work on building their firm arKDes Studio, to be the 'Ark' that saves the world with its positive 'Des'-ign, rooted in sustainability and a goal to create only the cleanest, greenest and most eco-friendly spaces and structures on [and for!] the planet. Over 100+ projects later, ranging from residential and commercial buildings to public spaces and community centers, their meticulous planning and execution ensured that the 'Earth First' ideology and vision are uncompromised in the quest for functional, aesthetic, affordable and accessible spaces.

They believe that their holistic approach using biophilic design, timeless natural materials and age-old construction techniques improves the quality of life by creating healthy, comfortable spaces that inspire creativity and productivity while ensuring energy efficiency, water conservation and waste reduction; a planet-conscious way of building, living and thriving. 

.