IDISPL

In Practice

Integral Designs has completed many projects belonging to a diverse set of typologies in national and international contexts. Where small projects act as key laboratories for carrying out design research, urban projects managed by international consultants offer intensive learning in the areas of design, documentation and management skills.

The studio draws from a deep understanding of the unsaid design brief and aspirations, international best practices, simple construction methods with deference to local materials and social requirements. There is always a conscious attempt not to have an ‘overt style’. We aim for uniqueness in our design responses, a sense of timelessness, robust ecological underpinnings and being innovative.

In Teaching

School of planning and architecture

An active member in academia, Samir Mathur has been a visiting professor at the School of Planning and Architecture since 2000. The past 17 years, he has taught many batches of graduate students at the landscape department and elective courses to the undergraduate students. He is frequently invited as a jury member across various Delhi colleges.

In PUBLIC SPEAKING

The lack of knowledge about landscapes in general and the public realm, in particular, is limited. Our team has been engaging with political decision-makers, industry groups, international funding agencies, heritage and conservation pressure groups on topics as diverse as Public art, Urban Greenways, Social implications of design, construction technologies, Botanical garden best practices and even training of gardeners. Rather than enumerating problems, we aim for the listener to understand the underlying cause and effect scenarios required to create a comprehensive vision for the issue under consideration.

In FRAMING POLICY

National building code 2016

Integral Designs has played a vital role in drafting the landscape guidelines for the new National building code 2016. The National Building Code of India (NBC), a comprehensive building Code, is a national instrument providing guidelines for regulating the building construction activities across the country.

Delhi urban arts commission

We have helped frame a large number of guidelines relating to Public Art, street design, park design, educational institutions parking norms and housing development norms seeking to improve the urban landscape at the DUAC.

In MONITORING IMPLEMENTATION

Heritage conservation committee

Samir Mathur has previously been an active member of the Heritage Conservation Committee from 2013 to 2016. He along with others formulated recommendations on Incentives for Heritage Preservation and Norms for identifying architectural, cultural and environmental assets of the city.

Delhi urban arts commission

For the past five years, as member of the Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC), Samir Mathur has been involved with the entire lifecycle of guiding conceptualisation to monitoring the implementation of public projects. This includes the review of the redevelopment of the Chandni Chowk, and various proposals for the Central Vista.