Tejaswini Mistri-Kapoor

Inscapes - for Built Environment

Tejaswini first came to Auroville in 2000 to do her architecture internship with Kolam which was headed by Ar. Anupama Kundoo. After her studies, she first tried her hands on conservation projects in INTACH Pondicherry, under Ar Ajit Khoujalji. But she was destined to join Auroville just within a year. She came to live and work in Auroville in early 2003. Since then she has been working on a variety of projects all over India. She was earlier an associate architect with Ar. Suhasini Ayer at Auroville Design Consultants in Auroville, where she got an experience of many community projects and wide variety in the role of designer and construction manager. Her learning on sustainable practices started from Auroville Design Consultants. She now runs her own practice ‘Inscapes – for built environment’ independently since 2011. She runs a small studio with collaboration from different experts in Auroville. 

Projects and Experience

Her works from earlier office and present studio ranges from mixed-housing projects, individual houses, medium to small public buildings, community projects, institutional projects, factory, and hospitality projects. These include architecture and interior designs both. For her, this can be meaningful only when sustainable practices are built into the projects with several collaborators.

She came to Auroville with just an academic education of architecture and almost no practical experience. She finds herself fortunate that Auroville provides her a great learning opportunity to take her work to different levels.

Since Thane cyclone, when nature’s fury damaged lot of Auroville forest, she started a furniture brand ‘Woodscapes’ under Inscapes to give tribute to the uprooted trees. This continues even now.

Her involvement in Auroville town planning since 2009 has impacted her personal and professional growth very positively. Auroville town planning is very challenging but why not when its for a special township which is for humanity. Her belief is that Auroville planning, if done with community participatory process and sustainable practices, will make this town an example for the world.