At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring meaningful and inspiring stories from India and around the world to empower and motivate our growing community. As part of this endeavour, we invited Ar. Sweta Labh for an exclusive interview with us. Ar. Sweta is an Architect, Habitat Designer and Founder at Charcoal Pencil Architects . Let’s learn more about her inspiring journey, teaching philosophy, and valuable insights.
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Ar. Sweta:
Please tell us about your journey as an architect and habitat designer. What inspired you to establish Charcoal Pencil Architects in 2019, and what vision did you have for the firm?
My journey in architecture has always been closely connected to understanding how people experience spaces. For me, architecture was never simply about drawing buildings; it was about understanding people, their lifestyles, aspirations and the environment in which a space exists.
Over the years, my experience across residential, commercial and institutional projects exposed me to very different scales, contexts and challenges. These experiences gradually shaped my understanding of what I wanted my own practice to stand for.
I founded Charcoal Pencil Architects in 2019 with the intention of creating a design practice where creativity and functionality could coexist naturally. I wanted the firm to be client-centric, but not in the sense of simply giving clients what they ask for.
I believe our responsibility as architects is to understand what they truly need and translate that understanding into a thoughtful design solution.
The vision was and continues to be to create spaces that are beautiful, functional, contextual and meaningful, rather than spaces that simply follow trends. For me, every project is an opportunity to solve a unique problem and create an environment that improves the way people live, work or learn.
How would you describe your design philosophy, and how do you balance aesthetics, functionality, sustainability and the unique aspirations of every client?
I would describe my design philosophy in one word: purposeful.
I strongly believe that form follows function. A beautiful space has very little value if it does not work for the people using it. Therefore, our design process begins with understanding the client, their lifestyle, priorities, budget, aspirations and the way they want to experience the space.
Once the functional requirements are established, we explore how architecture, materials, light, proportion, texture and landscape can come together to create a distinct aesthetic identity.
Sustainability is also not something that should be added to a project at the end as a checklist. It needs to be considered from the beginning through orientation, natural light and ventilation, appropriate material choices, efficient planning and responsible use of resources.
Ultimately, I don’t believe there is one design language that works for everyone. A successful project should reflect the identity of its users while remaining timeless enough to age gracefully.
You have worked across residential, commercial and institutional spaces. Which project or experience has been the most transformative for you, and what did it teach you as an architect?
One of the experiences that has been particularly meaningful to me was working on an interior design project for a primary school and daycare that needed to accommodate both neurotypical children and children requiring special attention.
The project challenged the conventional understanding of what an institutional space should be. A school is not simply a collection of classrooms; it is an environment where children learn, interact, develop confidence and experience the world around them.
That project made me think much more deeply about architecture from the user’s emotional and behavioural perspective. Scale, movement, light, accessibility, safety, colour, texture and the relationship between different spaces all become particularly important when designing for children with different needs.
It reinforced something I now carry into every project: architecture must begin with empathy.
Whether I am designing a home, office, café or institutional space, I try to ask myself: Who is going to use this space? How will they move through it? How should they feel here? And how can the design make their everyday experience better?
That experience strengthened my belief that good architecture is not necessarily about making a strong visual statement. Sometimes its greatest success is when the user simply feels comfortable, confident and at ease within the space.
With Bengaluru experiencing rapid urbanisation, how do you believe thoughtful architecture can help create more sustainable, functional and human-centric urban spaces?
Bengaluru’s growth presents both a challenge and an opportunity for architects. As the city becomes denser, we need to think beyond individual buildings and consider how every project contributes to the larger urban ecosystem.
For me, human-centric urban design begins with understanding the local climate, context and patterns of everyday life. Bengaluru has historically benefited from its moderate climate, vegetation and relationship with outdoor spaces. As we urbanise, preserving and strengthening those qualities becomes increasingly important.
Architecture can contribute through better orientation, natural ventilation, daylight, shaded outdoor areas, landscape integration, efficient planning and responsible material selection.
At a larger scale, we also need to think about walkability, connectivity, mixed-use development and the relationship between private and public spaces.
I don’t think sustainability always means expensive technology. Sometimes the most sustainable solution is simply better planning. A well-oriented building that receives good daylight and cross-ventilation can reduce dependence on mechanical systems from the outset.
As architects, we therefore have a responsibility to create buildings that don’t exist in isolation, but respond intelligently to their surroundings.
Sustainability is becoming an essential part of modern architecture. What practical design principles, materials and climate-responsive strategies do you believe architects should embrace more widely?
I believe sustainability should become a design mindset rather than a separate category of architecture.
The first step is to go back to fundamentals: orientation, shading, daylight, natural ventilation, thermal comfort and efficient spatial planning. These decisions can have a significant impact on both the energy performance and comfort of a building.
I also believe architects should make greater use of locally available and appropriate materials while considering durability, maintenance and the environmental cost of transportation and replacement.
Material selection should not be driven purely by appearance. We need to ask where a material comes from, how long it will last, how it performs in our climate, how much maintenance it requires and what happens at the end of its life.
Water conservation, rainwater management, landscape planning, energy-efficient lighting and the integration of natural elements are also practical measures that can make a meaningful difference.
Most importantly, sustainability should be context-specific. What works in one climate or city may not necessarily work somewhere else. Good sustainable design begins with listening to the site.
As a woman architect and entrepreneur, what challenges have shaped your journey of building Charcoal Pencil Architects, and what lessons have helped you grow as a leader?
Building a practice has been one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of my journey. Architecture is still, in many ways, a traditionally male-dominated profession, and being a woman entrepreneur comes with its own set of expectations and challenges.
However, I have learned that the most effective way to overcome those challenges is not to constantly focus on them, but to build credibility through consistency, knowledge, professionalism and the quality of the work.
Starting Charcoal Pencil Architects also taught me that being a good architect and being a good entrepreneur require different skills. Design requires creativity and sensitivity, while running a practice requires decision-making, communication, financial discipline, project management and the ability to build and motivate a team.
One of my biggest lessons has been to listen before responding, whether it is to a client, team member, consultant or contractor.
Leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about creating an environment where people can contribute, question, learn and take ownership.
I strongly believe in open communication within the team. Giving designers the confidence to express their ideas and creating a collaborative environment ultimately makes the work stronger.
The journey has taught me resilience, patience, and, most importantly, that growth comes from every project and every challenge.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for Charcoal Pencil Architects, and what kind of impact or legacy do you hope to create through the spaces you design?
My vision for Charcoal Pencil Architects is to continue growing without losing the personal and thoughtful approach with which we began.
I want the practice to be recognised not simply for a particular aesthetic, but for the quality of thinking behind our designs how well we understand a problem, how intelligently we respond to context and how successfully we translate a client’s aspirations into a real space.
As the practice grows, I would like us to take on increasingly diverse and meaningful projects while continuing to explore sustainable, climate-responsive and human-centric design.
But ultimately, my idea of legacy is quite simple. I don’t want people to remember a building only because it looked impressive in a photograph. I want them to remember how the space made them feel and how it improved their everyday experience.
If someone lives in a home we designed and feels that it truly belongs to them, if a child learns more comfortably in a space we created, or if people enjoy spending time in a commercial or public environment because of the way it has been designed, that, to me, is meaningful architecture.
Charcoal Pencil Architects is not just about creating buildings. It is about creating experiences, memories and spaces that remain relevant to people over time.
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