Sahā (सहा) is a Sanskrit word meaning ‘together’.
We're an architecture practice built around institutional work, adaptive reuse, and social development. Working alongside NGOs and government bodies, we design institutions - schools, shelters, creche, museums and public buildings - that respond to their context and communities.
Our Values
What every project is designed around
People Before Form
Design rooted in real human needs.
Contextual Design
Architecture shaped by place and culture.
Shared Ownership
Spaces that communities claim as their own.
Built to Last
Sustainable, adaptable, and responsible design.
Design with Purpose
Architecture as a tool for social impact.
Every design should harmonize with the environment - reflecting the community and individual aspirations, while resonating with the historical and emotional essence of a place.
-NAMRATA SAH
Namrata's design philosophy focuses on understanding user's needs to create responsive environments that harmonize with the community and reflect the emotional essence of a place.
She has spent more than a decade working in institutional, residential, and social architecture. She also specializes in adaptive reuse of buildings.
Her research looks at how culture and geography shape vernacular building traditions in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat - work that continues to inform how she designs today.
During her SBI Youth for India fellowship, she helped develop a government school in a small dhani near Jaisalmer - an early lesson in designing for a community, not just a client.
Recognizing the evolving architectural needs in rural India, She advocates for thoughtful design interventions and collaboration with NGOs and government organizations to create multifunctional public spaces. Her involvement spans various sectors, including education, alternative livelihoods, sustainable development, and social housing.
Namrata Sah
Architect . Founder
Consulted for
Organizations Namrata has worked alongside
A PRACTISE BUILT IN LAYERS
One section through fifteen years of work.
Present
Institutional & social-impact practice
Ongoing work across schools, creches, temporary housing, rehabilitation centers, and institutional architecture.
Studio Founded
A practice built around development of institutional architecture, adaptive reuse, and social development with a strong focus on impact and ownership of community.
Field Research
Vernacular architecture study
Researching how culture and geography shape rural building traditions in Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat.
Fellowship
SBI Youth for India
Develop a government school in a small dhani near Jaisalmer city.
Foundation
Architectural Education
Where the grounding for everything above it began.