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In January, I served as a design jury member for the Vanitha Veedu Architecture Awards in Kerala, organized by the local magazine of the same name. The competition, open to architects practicing in the state, attracted hundreds of entries, the majority of which were detached single-family homes. Participating architects presented more than one hundred submitted projects in person in front of a live jury and audience. In the Young Architects category, the gold medal winner was Prabhul Mathew, founder of Mindspark Architects. His three residences – Buoyant Hue, Hedge and Wedge, all built in Kerala – testify to the architect’s maturity, coherence and great originality. Above all, the series stands out for the identity of its author. It shows a confident hand, not only in style, but through a rigorous mastery of concrete construction and steel, and how these materials interact with the landscape, the sun, and the human body.
After returning from India, I spoke with Mathew via Zoom. He told me, “The sites speak to me; they tell me what kind of buildings need to be built there. I’m just a good listener. Some sites are more feminine. In other words, they’re popular. Other sites are more masculine.” ; they are more defensive.” The young architect prefers to undertake housing projects rather than commercial ones. Most were houses, and now he’s working in a nursing home. He dreamed of designing a hospital. Without hesitation, he says: “I believe that if I can achieve this, it could become something truly extraordinary. My understanding is inspired by the American architect Louis Kahn, who showed that space has the potential to nurture and heal.” .”
Mathew was born in 1991 in Kottayam, Kerala. He grew up in a family of civil engineers who worked for the government. Matthew received his bachelor’s degree from the College of Architecture, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. The school was a small department within a larger institution and is no longer operational. As a student, Matthew apprenticed to the school’s dean, who only employed practicing architects to teach, which was unusual in India. He loved the experience. In his final year of studies, he completed his first independent project, a small house in Kerala. His father helped him design it. Immediately after graduating in 2013, the architect worked for half a year at Murali Architects in Chennai, designing hospitals. The following year, when the house he designed as a student was built and published, Mindspark Architects was established in Matthew’s hometown of Kottayam; it helped attract clients from the start.
Mindspark Architects is a compact architecture firm with a small team of multiple architects, junior associates and craftsmen. Matthew’s wife, an associate architect, became a member of the firm in 2021. During our conversation we talked about resisting the idea of working on multiple projects at once, believing that every site contains the essence of design, getting emotion from Kahn’s work, and learning most importantly from Indian architect Charles Correa A lesson – how to choose the right clients.
Vladimir Belogolovsky: You founded Mindspark shortly after graduation. Why so fast?
Prahul Mathew: After graduation, the buildings I designed during my studies were recognized, which opened up some opportunities for me. These opportunities gave me the opportunity to start my own practice. My internship at Murali Architects, Chennai, greatly enhanced my skills and gave me the push I needed to launch an independent career.
VB: What was Mindspark’s first project?
afternoon: The Wedge is a house located in Chengannur, Alleppey (also known as Alappuzha), Kerala state. From the beginning, we were fully committed to this project. It took us six months to design and eight months to complete construction. This experience proved to be extremely valuable to us.
VB: Your website details Mindspark Architects as “architects who envision better buildings for comfort based on site, climate and client requirements.” What else?
afternoon: Comfort comes first; it’s true. When I refer to comfort, I’m not just referring to a client’s physical satisfaction, but also their inner state. This is achieved through the use of space, materials, sunlight and of course landscape.
VB: When you talk about your work, you use words like “craft,” “seamless,” “invisible,” “free flow,” “floating,” and “light.” How else would you describe your work and what kind of architecture you are trying to achieve?
afternoon: I don’t think I’m driven by a specific vision. After seeing the website and talking to customers, I knew what needed to be done. I believe the essence of design lies within the website itself. I can’t draw something contrary to what the site needs, and I never rush the process. It usually takes me at least three to four months to complete my designs.
VB: What is your design process like?
afternoon: Design sparks. That’s why I call it Mindspark. Every design is a spark for me. It can be a section, a plan, or even a small detail. The project unfolded from there. When I solve all the other puzzles, the plan usually comes last. Then everything fell into place. It’s a mystery to me how this works. Once I had the inspiration, it only took me a week to complete the project, but to do that I needed to explore a lot of ideas first.
The most important aspect of the design was defining the brief, which was done after many meetings with the client and analysis of the site. We then continued to develop the details, rendering each space from multiple angles, showing each part of the building in the renderings. It’s a very rigorous process where we look at what materials can be used for each project. We usually use exposed concrete as the main structure.
The design process was also discussed with the interns. Let me discuss my thoughts. When I draw a line, I take responsibility. The cost per line is high. If you follow it on the construction site, you cannot change it later.
VB: In some of your speeches you quoted the German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and the British-born Indian architect Laurie Baker . What other inspirations do you have?
afternoon: If I had to choose my favorite architect, I would choose Louis Kahn. Whenever I think about his projects, I get very excited. If he were still alive, I would do anything for him. He is my hero. He is my inspiration. To me, he mastered architecture in every aspect. I sense a strong silence in his work. This is beyond words. I visited the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad, which he designed; I would have loved to visit his great works in the United States, especially the Salk Institute in La Jolla, California, and Fort Worth, Texas Kimbell Art Museum.
VB: Your architecture is very practical. Can you talk about how you work directly with artisans?
afternoon: We work with a lot of people, some on multiple projects. Our steel fabricators are unique and highly skilled. Our discussions with him directly influenced our designs. He is very knowledgeable. If I showed my ideas and details to other manufacturers, they would tell me it wouldn’t work. But he’ll make it work. I know it. The execution of our project was ruthless. We must work closely with our workers. Many people don’t have the necessary experience. So we have to educate them and once they become proficient, we may work together on other projects.
VB: India has a tradition of walking barefoot in homes. How does this impact your designs?
afternoon: It is important to remember that many surfaces become wet during the monsoon, which lasts for up to six months. Therefore, we need to be aware of this and therefore we always specify rough materials such as sandstone and other natural stone flooring. In our climate it is very important to keep buildings open to the weather. We cannot completely close our buildings. Many of our houses have no windows. In a way, our buildings have lungs. They are designed around numerous courtyards and balconies. Correa is our model for this strategy. He developed the correct design approach for Indian architecture. What’s important to me is that I see architecture as a selfless act. I care about every detail. Buildings need to fit seamlessly and well into their environment. I make a special effort to preserve as much nature as possible around every building I design.
VB: What did you learn the most from Charles Correa?
afternoon: For me, the problem is choosing the right clients. He believes the reason he is able to design the greatest projects is because he has great clients. Therefore, it is important to find the right customers. In India, this is our biggest challenge. Once you have a good client, the project is easy. A good client enjoys the design process and actively participates in it, but is not explicitly told what needs to be done and how to do it. For example, our Buoyant Hue House client asked me to design a mezzanine floor without columns. We found an elegant solution for this. When you look at the space from below, the mezzanine appears to be floating. When it was built I stood under it so the family could see it was safe. [Laughs.]
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