Banaji & Associates: Designing with Legacy & Innovation
- June 23, 2025
- By: Priyanshi Shah
- INFLUENCERS
In an industry where identity often sways with trends, standing rooted in purpose is rare. In a Building Material Reporter, a platform dedicated to innovation and expert opinion, Banaji & Associates, a Mumbai-based design studio with over six decades of architectural legacy, shares a design philosophy rooted in timelessness at its very foundation. The firm, founded in 1960, has steadily grown through generational leadership, now spearheaded by Ar. Jamshed Banaji and Ar. Nirmala Banaji. Together, they bring complementary skill sets and a shared commitment to evolving their practice while honouring its original ethos: clarity, care, and contextual integrity.
Journey of a Family-Run Design Firm: A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Ar. Jamshed Banaji joined the firm in 1994, carrying forward the vision laid down by his father. His design language, precise, rooted, and solution-driven, preserves the firm’s original values of architectural excellence, design innovation and professional integrity. But Jamshed’s strength lies in more than just continuation; it’s in transformation. His entrepreneurial foresight led to the founding of Zaar Line, an allied venture in turnkey contracting and real estate development, bridging execution with ideation, an increasingly rare quality in the field. As a mentor, he’s known to assemble interdisciplinary teams with care and composure, balancing architectural form with human need.
Intergenerational Values as the Pulse of Innovation: On the other end of this duo is Ar. Nirmala Banaji, whose collaborative design sensibility has redefined the studio’s modern-day identity. Her design approach brings textural nuance, digital transformation in architecture, feminine strength, and thoughtful restraint to every space. With the idea of curating understated elegance in interiors where proportion is designed with intricate observations and materials speak for themselves, her designs take precedence over loud statements. From detail-driven residences to layered retail environments, she crafts evolving architecture that is less about visual impact and more about how a space feels, breathes, and endures in real-life design transitions.
Passing Down Values Beyond Design: What defines Banaji & Associates today is this ability to walk the line between what has been and what could be. Their studio philosophy, “Simple but Different”, encapsulates their ethos: a rejection of gimmicks, a focus on proportion, and a celebration of authentic materiality. Their portfolio reflects this balance. Whether it's a heritage brand retail space infused with sculptural lighting and vintage accents, or a contemporary home shaped by travertine, wood, and ambient light, the common thread is intention over trend.
Innovation vs Tradition: For a family-run firm, navigating continuity without creative complacency is no small feat. It requires trust in history and the humility to listen, both to the space and to each other. At Banaji & Associates, legacy is not preserved in stone. It’s cultivated, challenged, and carried forward, one quietly powerful project at a time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What types of projects does Banaji & Associates undertake?
Known for merging functionality with aesthetics, Banaji & Associates has designed widely residential architecture, retail environments, and heritage-inspired interior design.
What makes Banaji & Associates unique among Mumbai architecture firms?
A family-driven studio with collaborative leadership deeply rooted in value is transformed in the design, driving the legacy ahead, unlike trend-focused studios.
How does the firm incorporate sustainability in its architecture?
Blending context with the site, Banaji & Associates integrates sustainability through the use of local materials, passive design strategies, and conscious planning, crafting it into a timeless design.
