What Spasm Design Architects does

Spasm Design Architects is a privately held boutique architecture partnership founded in 1995 by Sangeeta Merchant and Sanjeev Panjabi in Mumbai, India. The studio operates with a core team of approximately 20 people and delivers full-service architecture and interior design for high-net-worth residential clients, select commercial developers, educational institutions, and corporate occupiers. Over 30 years, the practice has completed roughly 30 architectural projects spanning bespoke residences (Sarvasva, Parikrama, Ishtika, Brick Kiln House, Diya), institutional campuses (Jamnabai Narsee International School, Sanskriti Vihara Cultural Complex), and corporate headquarters (AON Tanzania, Exim Tower, Goyal HQ) across India, Dubai, and Tanzania.

The practice's core methodology centers on 'intuitive logic' — a balancing of instinct and inquiry — supported by an unusual culture of physical model-making: every project is built at matching scale in wood and aged brass to interrogate site impact. The studio emphasizes authentic Indian materials (stone, brick, terracotta, rammed earth, copper, concrete) designed to age, patinate, and gain character over time. The ONCE sub-brand, led by Sumher Panjabi, extends the practice into bespoke furniture and lifestyle objects via hybrid CNC, robotic, and handcraft manufacturing. Additional intellectual surface area includes architectural films, the 'There is No Planet B' climate pavilion (ADFF:STIR Mumbai 2025), the COL(L)AB initiative with Italian firm Geza Architettura, and the December 2025 'Two Point Perspective' retrospective at G5A, Mumbai.

Commercially, Spasm Design operates a direct-engagement professional services model with custom project-based pricing and multi-year contract structures. Revenue is generated through design, project management, and construction-oversight fees, with no standardized rate cards or intermediaries. Client acquisition is driven almost entirely by portfolio reputation and third-party award validation — including 13 consecutive years on Architectural Digest's AD100/AD50 lists, the 2025 Architecture Hunter Firm of the Year award, RIBA shortlisting, and Chicago Athenaeum recognition — rather than outbound sales or digital marketing.

Name

Spasm Design Architects

Legal name

Spasm Design Architects

Website

https://spasmdesign.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Spasm Design Architects is a Mumbai-based boutique architecture partnership founded in 1995, serving high-net-worth residential, commercial, and institutional clients across India, Dubai, and Tanzania with a 20-person studio. The practice is recognized for material-driven, climate-responsive design and 30 years of AD100 award-winning projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (541410), Industrial Design Services (541420)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architecture design services
• Residential architecture
• Interior design services
• Luxury home design
• Commercial architecture

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Full-service architecture and interior design services for residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects. Revenue generated through professional fees for design, project management, and construction oversight services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Spasm Design Architects is a boutique architectural studio providing full-service architectural and interior design for residential, commercial, institutional, and mixed-use projects across India and internationally. The practice delivers site analysis, conceptual design, detailed drawings, and construction oversight, supported by physical model-making and an "intuitive logic" methodology that emphasizes authentic Indian materials and buildings designed to age gracefully. The firm also runs ONCE, a lifestyle design sub-brand producing bespoke furniture and objects through hybrid CNC and craft manufacturing.

Product overview

SPASM Design Architects is an intimate architecture studio founded in 1995 by Sangeeta Merchant and Sanjeev Panjabi, based in Mumbai, India. The firm operates a small controlled practice dedicated to residential, commercial, institutional, and experimental architecture across India and abroad. Their portfolio spans projects including Sarvasva (a 12-storey terracotta-clad vertical residence in Mumbai), Parikrama (a granite house in Murud), Brick Kiln House (Alibaug), Diya (rammed earth and Corten residence in Ahmedabad), Ishtika (Ahmedabad and Dubai), Shivkunj (Juhu reconstruction), Alibaug Commune (community retreat), and Sanskriti Vihara (educational complex). The studio also operates ONCE, a lifestyle design brand producing bespoke furniture and objects using hybrid manufacturing processes. They present their work through architectural films, physical models crafted in wood and brass, and occasional retrospective exhibitions. The practice has been recognized with AD100, AD50, and RIBA awards, and maintains a team of approximately 20 people.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ONCE: A young, bespoke lifestyle design brand led by industrial designer Sumher Panjabi, which experiments with hybrid processes combining CNC machining, robotic fabrication, and human craftsmanship.

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Full-service architecture for residential, commercial, institutional, and mixed-use projects across India and international markets, including site analysis, conceptual design, detailed drawings, and construction oversight.
• Interior Design Services Interior architecture and interior design services delivered alongside the firm's architectural projects for private residences, corporate offices, and institutional campuses.
• ONCE Lifestyle Design Objects Bespoke furniture and lifestyle objects such as the Salara Bar Cart, crafted in marble, aged brass, hardwood, and stainless steel using hybrid CNC and hand-craft manufacturing under the ONCE sub-brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced air conditioning load by 20 percent in Dubai project through passive cooling design
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Matharoo Associates: Ahmedabad-based Indian boutique architecture firm with comparable craft-led, material-experimental approach and award recognition in residential and institutional typologies.
• Studio Mumbai: Bijoy Jain's craft-driven Mumbai practice with similarly intimate studio model, emphasis on material intelligence, hand-built models, and artisanal construction methods. Direct peer in philosophy and scale.
• SJK Architects: Mumbai-based boutique firm with comparable focus on luxury residential and interior architecture, similar AD100-era recognition, and premium HNW client base.
• Sanjay Puri Architects: Mumbai-rooted Indian boutique practice with strong award pedigree and similar climate-responsive, contextual approach across residential and commercial projects in India and internationally.
• Sameep Padora & Associates: Mumbai-based boutique practice with similarly small team, contextual Indian architecture focus, and growing award profile across residential and institutional commissions.
• Studio Lotus: Award-winning Indian boutique architecture firm with comparable material sensitivity, craft orientation, and multi-typology practice across residential, hospitality, and institutional projects. Similar scale and recognition profile.
• Nudes (Aamir Sharma): Mumbai-based contemporary Indian boutique firm with comparable AD100-era recognition, design-forward aesthetic, and small studio model across residential, cultural, and experimental projects.
• Rahul Mehrotra Associates: Mumbai-based research-driven practice with comparable attention to temporality, material, and Indian architectural heritage; similar boutique scale and academic/award positioning.
• Kallol Padovani Design Vision (KPDV): Indian boutique practice with comparable contextual architecture approach, emphasis on craft and material, and award-recognition profile in residential and small commercial projects.

Broad incumbents

• Christopher Charles Benninger Architects: Established Indian architecture practice with broader institutional scale (cities, campuses, large civic projects), serving as a larger-context incumbent peer operating across similar Indian geographic and cultural terrain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spasm-design-architects-india

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Spasm Design Architects