When we look around our bustling cities, space for creative architecture often feels scarce in a world where it’s easier to build tall, homogenous structures made of bricks and glass. Compartment S4 swims against the tide of uniformity, viewing architecture not just as a means to create buildings but as a way to shape spaces that foster connection and ease for people.
With a collaborative team of eight co-founders, Compartment S4 strives to uplift each other, working together to create spaces that reflect the values of shared growth and social responsibility. They talk to us below.
Projects
Our focus on public and community-driven projects comes from a belief that architecture should be accessible, inclusive and meaningful beyond commercial interests. While private projects can be profitable, they often cater to a limited audience. Public projects, on the other hand, have a direct and tangible impact on communities, shaping how people engage with their environments.
Our early projects, like Basa—a community tourism center in Uttarakhand—showed us how design could actively contribute to livelihood generation and social sustainability. This reinforced our intent to create spaces that are not just well-designed but also socially responsive.
That being said, we don’t dismiss private projects. We approach them with the same ethos, ensuring they integrate thoughtful design, sustainability and contextual sensitivity. The learnings from our public work help us create private spaces that feel rooted, humane and
conscious.
Design Process
Our design process is rooted in active engagement, ensuring that spaces reflect the needs and aspirations of those who use them. For public projects, we immerse ourselves in the site, observing natural interactions, speaking with diverse stake holders—local residents, vendors, civic bodies—and conducting participatory workshops. These conversations reveal everyday challenges and aspirations, allowing us to co-create spaces rather than impose solutions.
For private projects, engagement takes a more personal approach. We spend time understanding how clients navigate their daily lives—their habits, routines, and emotional connections to space. Rather than following a rigid design language, we let these insights shape spatial organisation, material choices and aesthetics. Post-occupancy evaluations further help us refine and adapt, ensuring spaces remain relevant long after they are built.
Sustainability
Sustainability must move beyond superficial greenwashing and be rooted in contextual intelligence. We believe true sustainability is about designing with an awareness of climate, resources and human behaviour. Locally sourced materials and traditional techniques often provide the most sustainable solutions, reducing carbon footprints while preserving cultural knowledge. However, we balance this with modern innovations, using a mix of passive cooling strategies, efficient spatial planning and durable materials to create low-energy, long-lasting buildings.
Urban sustainability must prioritise public life over private interests. Cities today cater more to vehicles than people, leading to shrinking public spaces and disconnected communities. The future of urban planning lies in pedestrian-friendly streets, integrated green spaces and mixed-use developments that encourage social interaction. Our interventions, such as revitalising lakefronts and public plazas, aim to reclaim public spaces for communities while addressing ecological concerns.
Affordability and inclusivity are also critical to sustainability. Green architecture cannot be a luxury for a select few; it must be accessible at all levels. This means rethinking housing models, promoting walkable neighborhoods and designing resilient infrastructure that serves diverse populations. As our practice evolves, we see sustainability not as a fixed formula but as a continuous process of adaptation.
Words Paridhi Badgotri
Date 30-8-2025
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