Innovation Lab / MTA ARCHITECTS

The Innovation Lab is MTA Architects' own satellite office, located in Chennai. The project was built as a working studio and client lounge, and also as a chance to build the way they believe buildings should be built - with local materials, passive environmental strategies, and construction techniques rooted in the region's traditions. The concept behind the project is the Convergence of Culture and Nature. Rather than imposing a design, the building draws from its context - the climate, the site, and the materials available in the region. The site includes a planted garden of native species, a pool, and a generous outdoor area. The building sits snugged in the landscape rather than on top of it.