Design Unfiltered’s “Material, Money & Mindset” initiative made its way to Keralam, a land where architecture moves in harmony with nature and culture. Cities like Kochi, Trivandrum, and Calicut carry a quiet charm—homes with wide verandahs, walls kissed by sunlight, and materials that tell stories of place, memory, and belonging.
We came to Kerala because here, even as the world chases trends and social media applause, architects still design for living, for people, for home. The journey began in Calicut, where conversations unfolded like the gentle backwaters—thoughtful, reflective, and rooted.
The Material panel, led by Abid Raheem, explored the textures, traditions, and possibilities of local resources with Vivek P.P., Ananth Vishnu, Rikhina Akhil, and Ashwin Vasudevan. Mindset, guided by Sujith G.S., opened windows into the ways architects think, struggle, and grow, with Sham Salim, Yasin K.M., Nimisha Hakkim, and Thressia Paul sharing their journeys. Money, moderated by A.K. Prasanth, reflected the practical realities of building a life in architecture, with Afnan, Mahir Aalam, Naufan Nazeer, and Lekesh exploring choices, challenges, and dreams.
Young professionals and students from across India listened, questioned, and absorbed the stories. The Kochi edition, curated by Ar. Kochuthomman Mathew, Master’s graduate from Oxford Brookes University, brought alive voices from across the state, sharing honest tales of survival, setbacks, and growth. Architects including Jaigopal, Reby Thomas, Varsha Das, Jack Chandy, Pratheek Sudhakaran, Sebastian Jose, Mathews, Gisny, Arjun Rajan, and Premlal reflected on identity, attitude, and vision for the future.
Conversations around architecture often circle back to money and financial viability, Trivandrum does not seek to highlight glamorous success stories instead the architects and their projects offers reflections, learning moments, and practical realities of both material and financial practice. All panels centered around the three themes: Material, Money & Mindset. Chitra , George Chittoor, Liza, Anavadya, Niranjan, Anuja ,Swathi, Rajashree , Jayakrishnan , Abrar, Sangeetha Venugopal , Prashanth.
As the sessions concluded, a quiet energy lingered in the room. Ideas floated like sunlight on verandahs, planting seeds of curiosity and courage in every listener. In the soft hum of Kerala’s streets, amidst the rustle of palms and the scent of monsoon, a story had begun—one that would travel with those who listened, shaping the way they see, feel, and create.
The journey continues. Next stop: Varanasi—another city, another story, another moment waiting to be shared.
