(“Text as submitted by architect”)
Vikas Gandhi
Vikas Gandhi is the principal architect at Plan Loci, where he leverages his extensive experience and comprehensive understanding of architecture, interior design, and project management to lead a wide range of projects. His portfolio includes residences, commercial and retail spaces, educational institutions, corporate offices, and hospitals, with involvement in developments as large as 70 acres. Vikas is known for his ability to seamlessly integrate design and functionality, ensuring that each project is not only aesthetically appealing but also highly practical.
In addition to his architectural and interior expertise, Vikas has a deep knowledge of project management, enabling him to efficiently design diverse-scale projects from conception to completion. He has contributed to the field through white papers, including ‘Interior Fit-out Guidelines for Tenants in DLF Malls,’ ‘Carpets,’ and ‘Value Engineering,’ which reflect his thought leadership and commitment to enhancing industry standards.
Vikas has worked with a diverse range of high-profile clients, including DLF, ISB, UVCT, AIIMS, AEPTA, Whirlpool, Deutsche Bank, Kanin, Su-kam, HSBC Canara, Cars 24, THC, and Rahejas, delivering successful and impactful designs. He is also a visiting faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, where he has been imparting his knowledge to aspiring architects for over 10 years.
Gauri S Gandhi
Gauri S. Gandhi is the principal landscape architect at Plan Loci, where she brings over two decades of expertise in landscape design and architecture. With a strong passion for fine detailing, Gauri has successfully led a variety of large-scale projects across diverse sectors, including resorts, Special Economic Zones (SEZ), technology parks, entertainment parks, townships, farmhouses, and malls. Her experience spans projects as vast as 600 acres and with budgets as high as INR 1000 Crores, showcasing her ability to manage complex, high-budget designs with a keen understanding of both the technical and aesthetic aspects.
Gauri’s in-depth knowledge of services and thorough understanding of planting in India, along with her experience across various regions, enable her to create unique, context-sensitive landscape designs that cater to both environmental and functional needs. She has worked with a range of prestigious clients such as Westin, Sheevam Comfort, Unitech, Vatika, DGMAP, Rahejas, Meinhardt, and Savvy, delivering designs that are innovative and impactful.
In addition to her work at Plan Loci, Gauri has been a visiting faculty member at the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi, for over 10 years, where she imparts her vast knowledge and experience to the next generation of landscape architects.
Practice Ideology
Plan Loci stands as a bridge between the tangible and intangible, skillfully navigating the spaces where the physical world and human experience intersect. The firm’s core belief is that every design challenge, when understood in its full context, calls for a solution that is not only appropriate but also unique. The process is not about applying predefined formulas, but rather about crafting solutions that respond directly to the specific needs and desires of each client. In this way, the firm’s approach is deeply client-centered, prioritizing a deep understanding of both the spoken and unspoken requirements of each project.
The designer, in this context, is seen not merely as a creator but as a manipulator of experiences. It is their task to shape an environment that evokes the desired emotional, functional, and sensory responses from its users. This requires not just technical skill but an intuitive grasp of how people interact with spaces. The designer must be attuned to the nuanced ways in which design influences behavior, mood, and perception, all while respecting the practical and aesthetic goals of the project. Through this lens, design becomes a powerful tool for storytelling—one that speaks not only to the present but also to the future, creating spaces that can grow and evolve along with their users.
A key component of Plan Loci’s approach is the in-depth exploration of the client’s needs. This process goes beyond surface-level requests, delving into the deeper, often unarticulated desires and aspirations that shape a client’s vision. By understanding the subtle cues and underlying motivations, the designer can more effectively translate these into tangible design outcomes. This is where the real art of the process lies—through empathy and insight, the designer can uncover layers of meaning and intention that might otherwise remain hidden.
Once these layers have been understood, the focus shifts to simplifying the design. Often, complexity arises from the challenge of accommodating various needs, constraints, and aesthetic choices. However, Plan Loci believes that true elegance in design comes not from excess but from a refined clarity. The goal is to peel away the unnecessary complexities that obscure the essence of the design, allowing its core elements to shine through. This approach doesn’t just make the design more functional—it makes it more meaningful, creating a space that feels intuitive, timeless, and deeply personal to those who experience it.
In essence, Plan Loci’s approach is about creating spaces that transcend their physical form, fostering experiences that resonate long after one has left the room.
