Our process
How we work
We begin with how you want to live. We stay until it is built right.
Our process is structured, collaborative and design-led. It balances creativity with discipline, and clarity with flexibility. Cost is part of the design from day one, not an afterthought.
Five stages, one promise
1. Program
Before we draw, we write down your life. Together we fill in a detailed program: the spaces you need, your preferences, even the equipment you will own. For every line there are three columns: your notes, our questions, and what we conclude. We ask about your mornings, your rituals, the house you grew up in and how you want to feel when you walk through your own door. You then build an online album of homes and details you love, so we can see what you respond to. This stage takes time, and it is the most important one.
2. Schematic design
Your program becomes layouts. We explore several options in coloured sketches, physical models and 3D views, with cost estimates based on market rates, and we finalise one before the stage ends.
3. Design development
Structure, electrical, plumbing and other services are coordinated into the design, and we choose materials and finishes. The result is a coordinated design and estimated costs, so you know where you stand before the drawings are finalised.
4. Construction documents
Every detail is drawn and written down: working drawings, specifications and a detailed Bill of Quantities. We finalise the cost ourselves, because we build, so what we price is what we build.
5. Execution
We set up the site processes and then we are on site, week after week, checking quality, bills and workmanship, so that what is built is exactly what was designed.
How many iterations?
As many as it takes during design, until you feel that inner click: this is mine, this is home.
Why the program comes first
Most people come to an architect with a list of rooms and their sizes. We are good with dimensions. We know how big a room should be for its function, so you do not need to worry about that.
What we cannot guess is you. Do you read in bed? Where will you have your first cup of coffee? Where does the family gather? What do you remember from the house you grew up in? Dimensions are the hardware. The way you live, and the way you want to live, is the software.
Subjective needs matter more than objective ones. Charles Correa taught us that good design is more than meeting functional requirements: it is the architect’s responsibility to respond to what a family feels and values. So we put the program first, and everything after it grows from it.
That is how a world traveller’s home came to give most of its plot to a garden, with an elevated living room that opens into it. It is how a family that treats the dining table as its social hub got a double-height dining room under a skylight. None of it was on the original brief. All of it came from the program.
The brief you bring is built on your current life. Come in with it, and stay open to the conversation. That is where your home’s character begins.
Costs are designed, not discovered
We review the budget at every stage, matching materials, detailing and construction methods to what you want to spend. That avoids late surprises and protects the design. We use BIM and physical models to find problems on paper, where they cost nothing, instead of on site, where they do.
Live cost control
We keep a live bill of quantities (BOQ) that is updated with every design decision. Change a finish, move a wall or add a window, and the cost sheet shows you the effect straight away, before anything is built. Cost is controlled throughout the project, not discovered at the end.
How we keep to your budget
After the working drawings we do the final costing against actual rates. If the number is above what you wish to spend, we work through it in this order. Quality is never compromised at any step.
1. Different finishes of the same good quality. Often this first step is enough.
2. Phase the finishing. Build the whole structure and its envelope now, because the envelope is the expensive part to do later, and postpone some interiors, such as a guest room, by six months or a year.
3. Phase the project. For a group of buildings, build the first now and the next in a second phase. Only as a last resort do we remove a part of the building.
Design and build, with one point of contact
We design, cost and build every project we take. You have one team and one point of contact from the first sketch to the final handover, so nothing falls between the architect and the builder. Many people call this a turnkey project. The difference is who leads it: here the architect does, and we build only what we design.
This matters most if you live abroad. One person answers your calls, checks the work on site and sends you the photographs.
If you prefer, you can appoint a project management consultant of your own to review the work independently. We are glad to work with one, openly.
Working across distance
Many of our clients live abroad. We work with you over video calls, WhatsApp and shared drives, with regular photographs and reports from site, so distance is never a barrier.
Our fee, and what building costs
Design and construction are priced separately, and in that order. After our first discussions we agree a fixed design fee before we begin. For a new building it starts at ₹25 lakh, and it is not a percentage of construction cost, so it does not rise when your budget does.
Our design fee covers comprehensive services: architecture, structure, building services and interior design, all coordinated by us. We always work this way, because it gives us complete control of the design process and makes sure every part of the design is properly coordinated. The fee covers the agreed scope. If you change the scope substantially, we agree the effect on the fee with you before we go further.
We price the construction once the design is complete, at industry-standard market rates, against the detailed bill of quantities. During design we work with close numbers so that we can judge each decision, but we do not call them a quote.
Be careful of any rate per square foot given before the design exists. It is the most misleading number in building, because the same area can cost very differently depending on the design, the materials and the site. We believe a real cost cannot be given until the design is complete, and we say so from the start.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What are your office timings?
Our office is open Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. We are closed on weekends and all public holidays.
How can I connect with D+R DESIGN?
We begin with a 10-minute free discovery call with one of our architects. Use the form on the Contact page, or write to design@drdesign.in, and tell us about your plot, your timeline and how you want the home to feel.
Go to the Contact page →What is your design process?
Five stages: program, schematic design, design development, construction documents and execution. We spend real time on the program first, because your family’s habits, memories and aspirations are what give the house its character. See the stages above.
What is the program stage?
A structured conversation, recorded in a spreadsheet, that maps what you need and what you feel about how you live. You also build an online album of homes you love. It becomes the basis of the design.
How involved are you in construction?
Completely. We design and build, so one team stays on site week after week: running every trade, checking quality and bills, and making sure the design intent is kept to the last detail.
Is this a turnkey project?
Yes, in the sense that matters to most clients: one team and one point of contact, from the first sketch to the keys. The difference is who leads. In a turnkey project the contractor often leads, and design is a service inside it. Here the architect leads. We build only what we design, so the people who drew your home control how it is built.
If you prefer, you can appoint a project management consultant of your own to review the work independently. We are glad to work with one, openly.
How do you manage project costs?
Good design is money well spent. We work with you from the first stage to set a realistic budget and keep checking it as the design develops, so the cost you see at the end is close to the cost you expected. We aim to keep final costs within about 10% of the approved estimate.
Do you take up interior design projects?
Yes. Along with architecture, we offer interior design services for residences, retail, workplaces, and institutions. Our interiors are designed to align seamlessly with the architecture.
Do you also work on renovations or only new builds?
We take on both. Whether it’s a new home, an extension, or a renovation, our design approach remains the same: sensitive to the site, budget, and your needs.
Do you work with clients outside Bangalore or overseas?
Yes. We have worked with clients across India and with NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) worldwide. With digital tools, detailed documentation, and periodic site visits, distance is never a barrier.
How sustainable are your projects?
Sustainability is central to our work. We use passive design strategies (daylighting, ventilation, thermal comfort), locally sourced materials, and efficient construction methods to create buildings that are eco-friendly, energy-efficient, and timeless.
What is your fee structure?
Our fee for a new building starts at ₹25 lakh. It is fixed and agreed before we start, based on the scope and scale of the project. It is not a percentage of construction cost, so our fee does not rise when your budget does. In the first meetings we discuss the fee, the timeline and the approximate cost of the project, so you know where you stand before you sign anything.
How long does a project usually take?
Timelines vary depending on project size. As a guideline: residential homes take 12–18 months from design to completion; interiors 3–6 months, depending on scale; commercial projects 18–24 months.
We create a detailed project schedule at the outset so you know what to expect.