In a practice where design is as much about systems as it is about space, this architect has steadily built a studio that bridges imagination with execution. From an unconventional start—initially aspiring to become a pilot—to discovering architecture through early experimentation with digital tools, the journey reflects a deep-rooted commitment to learning by doing.
Through Feel & Bari, the studio has evolved into a cross-disciplinary, cross-border practice, handling projects ranging from intimate residences to large-scale healthcare and institutional environments. With a philosophy grounded in clarity, precision, and responsibility, the work moves beyond aesthetics to focus on delivery, performance, and long-term impact.
In this conversation, we explore the evolution of their design thinking, the role of systems in architecture, and what it takes to build a resilient practice in India today.
As part of Abir Pothi’s DTalks series, Sunny Akber opens up about her creative process, projects and design philosophy.
Q1 – Could you begin by introducing yourself, your practice, and the philosophy behind Feel & Bari, along with a brief overview of your educational background, key professional experiences, and any major recognitions you’ve received?
Suny Akber: Architecture, for me, was never a straight-line decision.
I had initially set out to become a pilot. But somewhere along the way, guided by mentors who saw a different potential, I was nudged towards something more creative, more enduring toward architecture. In hindsight, the signs were always there. As early as the 90s, I found myself immersed in digital design tools, experimenting with spatial layouts, imagining environments, and constructing worlds on screen long before I formally understood what architecture demanded.
My education gave me a foundation, but it was the decision to practice while learning that truly shaped me. Along with a small group of peers, I began taking on real projects during university, documenting spaces, engaging with clients, and figuring things out on-site. By the time I graduated, we weren’t just students anymore; we were already practitioners, sustaining ourselves, investing in tools, and learning architecture through lived experience rather than abstraction.
That early exposure created a lasting belief that architecture is not just about design, it is about responsibility, systems, and delivery.
This thinking eventually evolved into Feel & Bari, a practice that began modestly but steadily expanded into large-format and complex projects. Over the years, we have worked across the residential, hospitality, healthcare, and institutional sectors, delivering projects ranging from intimate homes to developments exceeding 1 million square feet, including highly intricate hospital and campus environments.
Recognition followed as a byproduct of this journey rather than a pursuit. Our hospitality project, Hamsa, has received the NDTV Food Awards and Times Food Awards multiple times for “Best Restaurant of the Year.” In the healthcare and retail space, our work with Apollo White Dental has been recognised through the FIAMDENT Awards for best clinic chain environments, while diagnostic interiors have been acknowledged by the Neuberg Diagnostics Awards. Earlier in my journey, winning the Renault Nissan Design Competition for their design centre was an important validation.
As the practice matured, our focus shifted toward something deeper, building systems that could carry design across geographies. Today, our work operates as a cross-border model, integrating design, manufacturing, and execution across India, the United States, and global production hubs.
At its core, the philosophy remains simple yet demanding: to create architecture that is not only imagined beautifully, but also realised with clarity, precision, and intent.
Q2 – How would you describe your signature design aesthetic, and how has it evolved while working in India?
Suny Akber: My design aesthetic did not begin as a visual language; it began with discipline.
In the early years, I found myself deeply focused on proportion, thickness, and dimensional control. Even something as simple as how a line meets a surface, or whether an edge holds at four inches or less, became important. It was less about style and more about getting the fundamentals right. Over time, this sensitivity evolved into a stronger sense of linearity, cleaner expressions, sharper decisions, and a more deliberate reduction of the unnecessary.
As the practice matured, the focus gradually shifted from the object to the plan.
Today, the plan drives everything. With the diversity of projects we handle, across typologies, scales, and geographies, the aesthetic is no longer fixed. It adapts. It responds. Each project begins to develop its own language based on its constraints, users, and intent. This fluidity has allowed us to move seamlessly between different expressions while maintaining a consistent underlying discipline.
Lighting has played a particularly significant role in shaping our work. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to work closely with a lighting manufacturing unit, which gave me a technical understanding of luminaires, layering, and light behaviour. That experience stayed with me. Today, lighting is not an afterthought; it is a core design layer. We use it to sculpt space, create depth, and build atmosphere in a way that feels both intentional and effortless.
Materiality, on the other hand, has moved in the opposite direction, toward restraint.
Where there was once a tendency to explore and combine, today there is a conscious effort to reduce. Materials are chosen with precision, matched thoughtfully, and used in a way that allows them to speak without excess. The goal is not richness through quantity, but clarity through selection.
Working in India has been central to this evolution. India offers an extraordinary range of cultural contexts, climatic conditions, and user expectations. Each project demands a response that is rooted in its environment, where context becomes concept. At the same time, the realities of working here, constraints in execution, variability in resources, and the need for constant problem-solving have sharpened our approach.
What might be seen as limitations often become the very drivers of innovation.
The ability to customise deeply, work with craftsmen, adapt quickly, and deliver under complex conditions has enabled us to develop a design language that is both flexible and resilient. In many ways, India doesn’t restrict design; it forces it to become more intelligent.
This approach is perhaps most visible in projects like Hamsa Restaurant Chennai, where spatial planning, crafted materiality, and layered lighting come together to create an experience that feels both rooted and contemporary—an outcome driven as much by system and discipline as by design intent.
Ultimately, our aesthetic is not about a fixed style. It is about a way of thinking in which proportion, planning, light, material, and context come together to create spaces that feel resolved, grounded, and quietly powerful.
Q3 – What influences and inspires your current work? Could you share some movements, designers, or elements of Indian culture that have shaped your practice?
Suny Akber: For me, inspiration does not come from a fixed set of references or a singular design movement; it comes from the project itself.
The moment a client approaches us with a brief, that becomes the primary trigger. The context, the constraints, and the project’s ambition are what generate excitement and direction. Each project carries its own set of questions, and our role is to respond to them with clarity and precision. In that sense, the work is always evolving, because the source of inspiration is never static.
Equally important is the question of execution.
I am deeply influenced by how something gets built, not just how it looks. A significant part of my thinking is focused on how to deliver design in the most efficient, intelligent, and time-sensitive manner. This has led to a constant exploration of systems, processes, and production methods, ensuring that what we design can be realised with accuracy and consistency.
Observation also plays a critical role.
I continue to study spaces, whether it’s walking through hotel lobbies, corridors, or public environments—understanding how they function, how they are detailed, and how people experience them. These observations often yield insights that can be applied across projects.
One of the more defining aspects of our approach is cross-typology influence.
We often borrow intelligence from one domain and apply it to another. For instance, the service efficiency and systems planning found in healthcare environments can inform residential design, improving functionality, comfort, and long-term performance. Similarly, lessons from hospitality can shape institutional or commercial spaces in subtle but impactful ways.
Sustainability has also become an important layer in our thinking.
There is a growing focus on passive strategies, shading, cooling, material behaviour, and energy efficiency, working toward spaces that are less dependent on mechanical systems and closer to being self-sustaining. The idea is not just to design responsibly, but to make sustainability an integral part of how a building performs over time.
Ultimately, inspiration, for me, is not about replication; it is about translation.
It is the ability to take ideas from different contexts, reinterpret them, and apply them meaningfully to the project at hand, creating outcomes that are both responsive and forward-thinking.
Q4 – Could you walk us through your creative process? How do you move from initial concept to final execution?
Suny Akber: My creative process is, in many ways, deliberately structured.
It begins with the brief, and this is the most critical stage. Understanding the brief is not just about listing requirements; it is about decoding intent, expectations, and long-term vision. Once that clarity is established, we move into an in-depth site study and analysis, examining constraints, opportunities, context, and technical parameters.
From there, the process expands into research and interpretation.
We study the project typology, spatial relationships, material availability, technological inputs, and environmental factors. This allows us to build a strong foundation before moving into design. The concept, therefore, does not emerge as an abstract idea; it is a response to layered understanding.
What differentiates our process is what happens next.
Instead of treating design and execution as separate phases, we integrate them from the outset. The project is broken down into a structured framework that we internally follow in a sequence similar to Civil, Services, Shell, Fit-Out, Finishes, and Furnishing. Each of these becomes a defined “chapter” within the project.
For every chapter, we develop:
• Detailed drawing sets
• Quantified bill of quantities
• Coordinated 3D visualizations
• Execution timelines
All of this is aligned and presented cohesively at an early stage.
This means that from the outset, the project is not just imagined, it is virtually constructed.
The drawings, visualisations, and quantities are interlinked, providing a high level of clarity among stakeholders. While there is always room for iteration, the intention is to resolve as much as possible upfront, reducing ambiguity and enabling smoother execution on site.
Creativity, in this process, is not compromised; it is channelled.
By building a strong system, we create the freedom to focus on design quality while ensuring that what is envisioned can be delivered with precision. The process remains simple in its logic, brief, and to the point, but rigorous in its depth and follow-through.
Ultimately, our approach is about closing the gap between idea and reality, so that design is not just conceived well, but completed with the same level of intent.
Q5 – Your work often involves collaborations with artisans and other creatives. What draws you to these partnerships, and how do these collaborations enrich your design practice?
Suny Akber: Collaboration, in our practice, is not an optional layer; it is fundamental to how design evolves.
What draws me to working with artisans, fabricators, and other creatives is the possibility of pushing design further through capability. When you work with someone who has a deep understanding of their craft, whether it is metal, wood, stone, lighting, or fabrication, you begin to see new opportunities within the same design.
Good craftsmanship expands the boundary of what is possible.
The moment you engage with the right collaborator, the conversation shifts. It is no longer just about drawing something; it becomes about how far can this be taken, how well can this be executed, and how refined the outcome can be. That dialogue itself becomes a creative process.
At the same time, these collaborations demand a strong sense of responsibility and clarity.
A large part of our engagement involves aligning expectations, ensuring quality control, and investing time in understanding how something will actually be built. It is not uncommon for us to go through multiple iterations of testing, refining, and adapting until the solution is both design-driven and practically viable.
This makes the process inherently iterative and collaborative rather than linear.
Over time, this exchange creates a feedback loop. The insights we gain from artisans and production teams inform our future designs, making them more grounded, more efficient, and more precise. In many ways, the design becomes richer not because it is more complex, but because it is better understood and better executed.
In a practice like ours, where design often extends across geographies and involves cross-border manufacturing, these collaborations become even more critical. They allow us to maintain consistency, quality, and intent, regardless of where the project is being realised.
Ultimately, collaboration is not just about bringing people together; it is about bringing together skill, intent, and execution to create something that stands the test of time.
Q6 – Looking back at your portfolio, which project represents a significant turning point in your career, and among your recent works, which project are you most proud of and why?
Suny Akber: In many ways, I don’t see my journey as having a single turning point.
Every project has been a milestone, each one bringing its own set of challenges, lessons, and evolution. The practice has grown incrementally, shaped by experience rather than one defining moment. That said, certain projects stand out because of the scale, intensity, or depth of engagement they demanded.
One of the early defining moments was our work with Apollo White Dental, where we developed and executed multiple clinics across the network. This was not just about design; it was about speed, systemisation, and delivery at scale. The experience of running projects in high-pressure timelines, often around the clock, taught us how to build processes that could sustain growth.
In contrast, Hamsa Restaurant Chennai represents a completely different kind of milestone.
This was a project driven by patience, detail, and emotional investment. Every element was crafted with care, and the process was far more deliberate. It taught us the value of slowing down when required, of allowing design to mature through iteration and attention.
Projects like large-scale hospital developments, particularly adaptive reuse scenarios, brought another layer of complexity. They required us to balance technical precision, stakeholder coordination, and design sensitivity, often within tight constraints. These experiences strengthened our ability to manage complexity without losing clarity.
More recently, the ICN Naperville Mosque has been a significant milestone.
ICN | Image Credit: Feel and Bari
It brought together everything we had been building toward: cross-border design, manufacturing, logistics, and installation. Designing in one geography, producing in another, and assembling in a third required a high level of coordination and trust across teams. It was not just a design exercise, but a complete systems-driven execution model.
If I had to identify a project that represents where we are today, ICN would be close to it.
It reflects our ability to think globally, execute with precision, and deliver complex architectural outcomes across boundaries while staying true to design intent.
Ultimately, each project not as an endpoint, but as a step forward, each one refining the way we think, design, and build.
Q7 – What unique challenges and opportunities have you encountered as an emerging designer in the Indian design industry, and how are you working to overcome these obstacles?
Suny Akber: Working in India presents a unique combination of immense opportunity and equally complex challenges.
One of the most consistent challenges is execution reliability.
Even when design intent is clearly defined and timelines are established, on-site delivery can be unpredictable. Labour availability, skill variability, and fragmented vendor ecosystems often introduce delays and inconsistencies. There is still a gap between what is designed and what is delivered, particularly when expectations are high and precision is critical.
Another layer of complexity lies in the lack of systemised execution.
In many cases, components are not produced with a plug-and-play mindset. Instead of being fully resolved before reaching the site, they require additional finishing, adjustments, or interpretation during installation. This creates dependencies on specific teams and reduces efficiency, making it harder to maintain consistency across projects.
At the same time, there is a noticeable disconnect between design ambition and execution alignment.
Vendors may be skilled, but not always aligned with the project’s larger vision. The idea of delivering the “best possible outcome” is still evolving, and often requires continuous engagement, monitoring, and iteration.
However, these challenges also reveal the true opportunity of working in India.
The environment allows for a level of deep customisation and adaptability that is difficult to achieve elsewhere. The diversity of skills, materials, and cultural contexts creates a fertile ground for innovation, provided it is guided by the right systems.
Our approach to addressing these challenges has been to move toward clarity and structure.
We invest heavily in defining the project upfront through detailed drawings, coordinated documentation, and early-stage stakeholder alignment. By front-loading information and creating a near-complete understanding of the project early on, we aim to reduce ambiguity during execution.
Equally important is the emphasis on systems and process integration.
We work toward building frameworks where design, production, and installation are aligned, minimising reliance on on-site improvisation. Over time, we have also focused on building stronger vendor relationships and cross-border production capabilities to ensure better control over quality and timelines.
It is still a work in progress, but that is the nature of the ecosystem.
In many ways, India demands more from the architect, not just as a designer, but as a coordinator, problem-solver, and system builder. And it is precisely this challenge that continues to shape and strengthen our practice.
Q8 – How do you approach sustainability and eco-friendly practices in your designs, particularly considering India’s traditional wisdom and contemporary environmental challenges?
Suny Akber: Our approach to sustainability is rooted in practical application rather than certification.
The first layer is always systems-driven. Wherever possible, we integrate renewable energy solutions such as solar power and solar thermal systems. For instance, using rooftop solar thermal installations to generate hot water allows us to significantly reduce electrical dependency in residential and hospitality projects. Similarly, photovoltaic panels help offset energy loads and create a more self-sustaining system.
The second layer focuses on passive design strategies.
From the early stages of planning, we study orientation, climate, and heat gain. This translates into design decisions such as large shading devices, controlled openings, and climate-responsive skylights. The goal is to reduce the building’s reliance on mechanical cooling by allowing it to perform better naturally.
Ventilation and material behaviour also play a critical role.
We look at how air moves through a space, how heat is dissipated, and how materials respond over time. These decisions, though subtle, contribute significantly to reducing long-term energy consumption and improving comfort.
However, an equally important aspect of sustainability, for us, is longevity.
A building that ages well, functionally and aesthetically, is inherently sustainable. We focus on creating spaces that can adapt over time, require minimal intervention, and remain relevant in their use. Reducing the need for frequent renovation or replacement is, in itself, a powerful form of sustainability.
In that sense, our approach is less about achieving a certification and more about ensuring that the building performs efficiently throughout its lifecycle.
Sustainability, to us, is not an added feature; it is a fundamental responsibility embedded in how we design, build, and think about the future of our projects.
Q9 – What’s your most exciting recent design or art discovery that’s influencing your current thinking?
Suny Akber: A recent experience that stayed with me was passing through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
What struck me was not just the infrastructure, but how the airport had transformed itself into an interactive environment. Each gate or zone was designed to engage the user in a meaningful way, whether through learning to write in Taiwanese with guided digital interfaces, experiencing a simulated surfing setup, interacting with robotics and electronics, or even taking a visual “journey” through the country via immersive installations.
The space was not passive; it was communicating.
Despite being an older facility, the level of maintenance and the quality of engagement made it feel incredibly fresh, welcoming, and human. It created a sense of connection, where the user was not just moving through the space, but participating in it.
That experience reinforced a thought I’ve been increasingly drawn to: buildings need to become more interactive.
Architecture, traditionally, has been about form, function, and experience, but the next layer is engagement. Spaces should be able to respond, guide, educate, and even entertain. They should leave behind a memory, not just serve a purpose.
This idea of creating environments that “talk back” to the user, contextually, intelligently, and subtly, is something I find deeply exciting. It opens up possibilities across typologies, from public spaces to cultural institutions to even residential environments.
In many ways, this shifts architecture from being something we simply occupy
to something we actively experience and interact with.
Q10 – How do you build visibility and reach out to potential clients – what platforms and strategies have worked best for you?
Our visibility has, for the most part, been built through the work itself.
We have relied predominantly on word of mouth, where completed projects and satisfied clients naturally lead to new opportunities. In many cases, when a new client approaches us through a referral, a level of trust has already been established. The decision to work together is often made before the first formal conversation.
This has been the foundation of our growth.
Rather than actively pursuing conventional marketing strategies, we have focused on delivering work that speaks for itself, allowing credibility to build organically over time. Each project becomes a reference point, and each client becomes an advocate.
An equally important aspect of this approach is the experience we create around the process.
We place a strong emphasis on making our studio and interactions warm, engaging, and personal. Meetings are not transactional; they are immersive. We sit together, share meals, spend time getting to know each other, and go through the design process in an open, iterative manner. This creates a level of comfort and trust that goes beyond a typical client-consultant relationship.
Over time, this has led to deep, long-term associations.
Many of our clients return repeatedly, sometimes across multiple projects over several years. In fact, it is not uncommon for a single client to engage with us numerous times because the process becomes seamless, collaborative, and reliable.
In essence, our strategy has been simple:
Deliver with consistency, build trust through experience, and allow relationships to grow naturally.
While we are now exploring more structured ways of communicating our work, particularly through digital platforms and cross-border outreach, the core remains unchanged.
For us, visibility is not just about being seen; it is about being trusted, remembered, and recommended.
Q11 – From your experience, what are the crucial dos and don’ts for young designers trying to establish themselves in India, and what professional forums or communities would you recommend they join?
Suny Akber: One of the first things I tell young designers is this:
Don’t chase money in the beginning, chase clarity.
The financial rewards will come, but the early years are about building your foundation, understanding what you want to create, what kind of work excites you, and where you see yourself in the long term. There will be phases where things feel uncertain, even difficult, but if you stay committed to your direction, the journey becomes far more rewarding than simply chasing short-term gains.
It’s also important to be mindful of where you place yourself.
There are environments that can limit your growth, where you may feel stuck doing repetitive work just to sustain yourself. While survival is important, I believe it’s equally important to seek out spaces that challenge you, push your thinking, and foster your creativity.
Architecture, as a profession, is only becoming more complex.
With the integration of technology, automation, and new ways of working, the expectations from designers are higher than ever. It is no longer enough to just design; you need to understand how things are built, how they perform, and how they come together in reality.
That’s where I strongly emphasize:
don’t stop at design, learn to execute.
Understanding drawings, coordination, site realities, and systems will give you a far deeper command over your work. Talent is important, but without systems and follow-through, it remains incomplete.
Patience is another critical aspect.
There are moments where you need to stay steady and allow things to evolve, and there are moments where you need to move quickly and take decisive action. Learning to balance the two, when to wait and when to accelerate, is a skill that comes with experience.
If I were to summarize it simply:
• Stay committed to your long-term vision
• Put yourself in environments that help you grow
• Build both creativity and systems
• And most importantly, stay resilient through the process
Because if you stay the course, the profession has the ability to give back in ways that are deeply fulfilling.
Q12 – As you look ahead, what kind of projects or directions would you like to explore?
Suny Akber: Looking ahead, I am increasingly drawn toward projects that operate at an urban and societal scale.
The intention is to engage with work that goes beyond individual buildings, projects that can meaningfully influence how people live, interact, and sustain themselves. This includes urban interventions, large-scale community developments, and environments that address core challenges such as housing, sustainability, and quality of life.
A key area of interest is exploring efficient and scalable construction methodologies.
This involves looking at low-cost construction techniques, automation, and system-driven execution models that can reduce resource consumption, minimize environmental impact, and improve delivery timelines. The idea is to build smarter, achieving more with less, while maintaining quality and intent.
Sustainability, in this context, is not treated as an isolated layer, but as an integrated outcome of good design, planning, and execution.
At the same time, I see the future of the practice itself evolving into something larger than a conventional design studio.
The ambition for Feel & Bari is to grow into a cross-dimensional ecosystem, one that brings together designers, engineers, manufacturers, and execution teams within a unified framework. A platform where:
• those who have ideas can realize them,
• those seeking work can find meaningful opportunities,
• and those skilled in execution can contribute to delivering high-quality outcomes.
In essence, the goal is to create a system where architecture is not fragmented, but collaborative, accessible, and scalable.
Ultimately, the direction is clear: to work on projects that not only demonstrate design excellence,
but also create measurable impact, on people, on cities, and on the way we build for the future.
Q13. For aspiring designers looking to make their mark in India’s design landscape, what wisdom would you share from your journey?
Suny Akber: The Indian design landscape is vast, diverse, and full of opportunity.
But in the end, what truly stands out is quality, the kind of work that endures, that remains relevant, and that continues to speak long after it is built. Trends will change, styles will evolve, but good design lasts.
My advice to aspiring designers is simple: seek excellence, and commit to it fully. Don’t hold back. Push your ideas, explore deeply, and put your best into everything you create. There is value in going beyond what is expected, sometimes even being a little obsessive about the outcome. That intensity is often what separates good work from truly memorable work.
At the same time, it’s important to be visible. India produces an incredible amount of design talent, but not all of it gets the recognition it deserves. Share your work, publish it, put it out into the world. Visibility creates opportunity, it allows you to connect, collaborate, and grow.
Equally important is engagement with the larger community. Meet people, exchange ideas, learn from others, and stay open to different perspectives. The profession evolves through dialogue, and being part of that exchange will only strengthen your own journey.
And above all, keep going. There will be challenges, pauses, and moments of doubt. But consistency, effort, and belief in your work will carry you forward.
Because in the long run, it is not just talent, but persistence and clarity of intent that define a meaningful design journey.
Cover Image: One 74 | Image Credit: Feel and Bari
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