As architecture becomes increasingly defined by metrics, area calculations, material efficiencies, and financial returns, there persists a more exacting discipline that resists speed and spectacle. It turns instead to quieter questions: how does space affect the human mind, and in what ways does architecture shape inner life rather than mere appearance?
For Aman Sohal, Founder and Principal Architect of ForumAdvaita, architecture has never been merely about buildings. It has been a lifelong inquiry into self, society, climate, and consciousness. Established in 2016 in Mohali, Punjab, ForumAdvaita today stands as a practice rooted not in spectacle, but in meaning; not in branding, but in belief.
Sohal’s journey is not one of rapid commercial ascent, but of deliberate evolution, where philosophy precedes form and intention defines the outcome. Over nine years, ForumAdvaita has quietly built a body of work that is introspective yet public, grounded yet poetic, contemporary yet deeply Indian in its sensibility.
The Beginning: Where Architecture Became a Way of Looking Inward
Every architectural practice begins with a decision, but some begin with a realization. For Aman Sohal, that realization emerged early in his professional life while working under the legendary architect Ar. Balkrishna Doshi.
Under Doshi’s mentorship, Sohal witnessed architecture as a living discipline, one that shapes not only cities, but ways of life. “That was when I truly understood the joy that the practice of architecture gives you,” Sohal reflects. “You are not only shaping the built environment, but also the lifestyle, the rhythms, and the inner experience of people.”
This exposure reframed architecture for Sohalnot as a service profession alone, but as a medium of introspection. He began to see design as a process through which one could discover the external world by first understanding the internal one.
It was with this philosophical grounding that ForumAdvaita was born on August 16, 2016.
| MEANING OF THE NAME “FORUMADVAITA” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Word | Meaning | Role in Practice |
| Forum | A place for exchange of ideas | Dialogue-driven design process |
| Advaita | Philosophy of non-duality | Philosophical foundation of the studio |
The name itself is both a declaration and a discipline. Forum signifies a place of dialogue and exchange of ideas. Advaita, derived from Indian philosophy, refers to non-duality: the oneness of self and universe. Together, ForumAdvaita represents a continuous reminder of why the practice exists to create spaces through dialogue, guided by the principles of Advaita as articulated by Swami Vivekananda.
Advaita, Aman Sohal explains, exists in two states. One is experiential, the pursuit of non-dual connection with ultimate reality through engagement with an unreal, ever-changing world. The other is philosophical, an attempt to create atmospheres that are mysterious, evolving, and in constant transformation. Architecture, for Sohal, sits precisely at the intersection of these states.
| ForumAdvaita’s Architectural Belief System |
|---|
| Architecture as introspection, not spectacle |
| Space as a medium of consciousness |
| Design rooted in Indian philosophy |
| Meaning over branding |
| Experience over image |
| Slowness as a design tool |
Choosing the Long Path: Sustainability Before Stability
Establishing a design-led architectural practice in a deeply commercialized real estate ecosystem is not without friction. In ForumAdvaita’s early years, the most defining challenge was sustainability not ecological, but existential.
“How do you prioritize meaningful architecture in a world driven by commercial metrics?” Aman Sohal asks. “How do you survive while refusing to equate success with immediate financial gain?”
ForumAdvaita consciously chose not to define success by revenue in its formative years. Instead, the studio focused on creating architecture that lifts, elevates, and feels larger than life spaces that inspire reflection rather than consumption.
The cost of this choice was real. There were periods of financial uncertainty, limited commissions, and the constant pressure to compromise. Yet over time, what began as a challenge evolved into a ritual method applied to every project. Financial stability eventually followed, not as a goal achieved, but as a by-product of clarity of intention.
Nine years on, ForumAdvaita’s trajectory offers a quiet counter-narrative to fast-growth models: that integrity, when sustained long enough, becomes economically viable.
| Sustainability Before Stability | |
|---|---|
| Focus | Key Point |
| Primary Challenge | Meaningful architecture in a commercial ecosystem |
| Early Decision | Success not measured by revenue |
| Design Intent | Spaces that elevate experience, not consumption |
| Short-Term Reality | Financial uncertainty and pressure to compromise |
| Long-Term Outcome | Stability emerged from sustained integrity |
Leadership Forged at the Grassroots
Sohal’s leadership philosophy is inseparable from his beginnings. ForumAdvaita did not start with a team; it started as a one-man practice.
“I did everything,” he recalls. “Drafting drawings, developing designs, making physical models, producing 3D renderings, conceptualizing ideas, and communicating them to clients.”
This immersive involvement shaped Aman Sohal’s understanding of the architectural process in its entirety. It also shaped his leadership style, one rooted not in delegation by authority, but in credibility earned through action.
As ForumAdvaita grew into a team of ten, Sohal found himself uniquely positioned to understand challenges at every level from conceptual bottlenecks to executional fatigue. Today, the studio functions less like a hierarchical organization and more like a collective of multiple leaders, each with clearly defined roles and shared ownership.
The result is a cohesive design-and-build system where precision coexists with joy, and collaboration replaces command.
A Practice Without Posturing
Unlike many contemporary firms, ForumAdvaita did not begin with a SWOT analysis, branding exercise, or market positioning strategy. It began with beliefin drawing, in spatial intuition, and in the power of slowness.
The studio’s distinguishing approach lies in its emphasis on place-making rather than image-making. ForumAdvaita seeks to create architecture that encourages engagement in spaces that make occupants pause, think, and feel differently about their surroundings.
“There are no efforts made toward projecting an image of how the practice should look,” Sohal explains. “That keeps our architecture humble and simple.”
This humility is not minimalism for effect, but restraint rooted in philosophy. The firm’s projects rarely shout; instead, they reveal themselves slowly, rewarding observation and inhabitation.
Sustainability as Ethos, Not Ornament
For Aman Sohal, sustainability is not a checklist; it is an internalized responsibility. He is critical of how sustainability is often reduced to symbolic gestures rather than embedded intelligence.
“We are using sustainability as a symbol, not as an instrument,” he notes. “As an instrument, it transforms; as a symbol, it merely makes a statement.”
ForumAdvaita’s work resists climate-inappropriate design trends such as excessive use of fixed glass façades that hinder cross-ventilation in Indian contexts, or blind reliance on HVAC and automation systems. Instead, the practice prioritizes breathing architecture spaces that respond to climate, seasons, and human comfort organically.
Balancing sustainability, financial viability, and client expectations requires empathy more than ideology. Aman Sohal’s approach begins with understanding the client’s dream, making it his own, amplifying it, and then returning it transformed. This process demands pain, patience, and dialogue but it dissolves the boundary between architect and client.
Architecture as Experience: Flagship Projects
Among ForumAdvaita’s early and most defining works is “World Within”, a residential project structured around two courtyards with contrasting behaviors. One extends the living space outward; the other turns inward, creating a private dialogue with nature and sky.
Naturally lit throughout the day, the house allows occupants to experience rain, seasons, and light cycles, intimately transforming daily living into a sensory narrative.
Another significant project is the New Public School Extension, where the studio explored a series of courtyards designed specifically for different age groups. The kindergarten spaces and senior wings were shaped by behavioral patterns, psychological needs, and learning rhythms. Here, classrooms were reimagined not as containers of instruction, but as environments of growth.
These projects exemplify ForumAdvaita’s belief that architecture must respond to how people feel, not just how spaces function.
Listening After the Building Is Built
ForumAdvaita’s commitment to continuous improvement extends beyond project handover. Six months after completion, the studio revisits its buildings to understand how they are being inhabited.
Feedback is structured into two dimensions. The first is psychological, how the space feels, how light enters, how warmth or intimacy is perceived. The second is physical, technical performance, services, material behavior, and detailing.
One of the most impactful moments in the studio’s history came after the completion of “The Fluid Courtyard.” After moving in, the clients sent Sohal a video of rain cascading into the courtyard, accompanied by a simple message of gratitude for the experience.
“That,” Aman Sohal reflects, “was the most invaluable feedback we have ever received.”
Recognition Without Distraction
Over the years, ForumAdvaita’s work has been recognized by several leading architectural platforms. Projects such as World Within and Cucoon House have been published by Buildofy, while other works have been featured in The Architects Diary, Architects and Interiors India, Volume Zero, Archidiaries, Architecture Tract, and more.
In 2022, ForumAdvaita was named among the Top 50 Under 40 Architects by Architects and Interiors India. Sohal has also participated in panel discussions and moderated conversations honoring the legacy of B.V. Doshi.
Yet recognition remains peripheral to the practice, not a driver, but a reflection.
Culture, Collaboration, and the Road Ahead
ForumAdvaita’s workplace mirrors its architecture, open, continuous, and non-hierarchical. There are no closed cabins. Every team member shares a common space, encouraging accessibility and exchange.
Storytelling is central to the studio’s culture. Every design element must speak of relationships between people, materials, light, and context. Regular discussions on diverse subjects allow team members to expand their creative vocabulary beyond architecture.
Looking forward, Aman Sohal sees collaboration as essential, not optional. ForumAdvaita is actively exploring partnerships with other architectural firms to move beyond individualistic expression and toward collective impact.
“Architecture must function for society as a whole,” he asserts. “Not just as a personal expression.”
Redefining Success
Perhaps the most defining aspect of Aman Sohal’s journey is his understanding of success. For him, success is not external arrival, but internal fulfillment.
“When you unload yourself of the need to carry a singular persona,” he says, “you become lighter. And when you feel light, you can engage with the world more freely.”
This philosophy extends beyond architecture to drawing, reading, traveling, music, conversation, and reflection. It is this multiplicity that continues to inform Sohal’s work, allowing ForumAdvaita to evolve without losing its core.
In a profession increasingly driven by speed and spectacle, Aman Sohal and ForumAdvaita offer something rarer: architecture as a conscious act measured not in milestones reached, but in moments felt.
And perhaps that is where their true legacy is being built.
