Badri Thiagarajan - Principal Designer - Mestiere Design Studio
Good design shapes how people live, work, and feel. It’s in the way a room flows, how light falls, and how every detail comes together without being forced. Bringing this philosophy to life is Badri Thiagarajan, Principal Designer and founder of Mestiere Design Studio, a design-to-build studio rooted in the legacy of Royale Buildings and born from a pursuit of timeless architecture and seamless execution. Each project is treated as a conversation, every material as a metaphor, and every form as a reflection of the client’s essence. Under his leadership, Mestiere blends creativity, craftsmanship, and innovation to transform ideas into spaces that are both functional and inspiring.
Badri Thiagarajan’s journey into design was shaped by both heritage and passion. Coming from a family engaged in jewellery and silk entrepreneurship, his natural inclination towards art and design led him to carve his own path during his college days. What began almost by chance, his very first assignment, turned into a defining moment, inspiring him to pursue design seriously and learn from industry experts.
An Art and Design graduate with an MBA and Project Management credentials from reputed institutions in Tamil Nadu and Bangalore, Badri gained valuable experience working with leading architectural firms across India in the formative years of his career.
In 1999, he founded his own practice, initially focusing on corporate commercial projects. Over the years, as project after project from corporate houses came his way, his experiences shaped his thought process, strengthened his commitment, and deepened his understanding of the importance of client satisfaction. The lessons learned, including the serious repercussions of any lapses, have continuously refined his practice and pushed him to evolve Mestiere’s strategies, processes, and delivery standards with each passing year.
Since 2009, the firm has expanded into diverse sectors, steadily evolving into a national award-winning studio recognised for its commitment to design integrity, execution excellence, and enduring value. Mestiere’s work spans corporate offices in IT, ITES, mobile technology, BFSI, hospitality, healthcare, and education, as well as private villas, bungalows, and farmhouses. Each project reflects the studio’s pursuit of quality, innovation, and timeless design.
Mestiere Design Studio is a craft born from legacy—an evolution of Royale Buildings, which has shaped over two decades of architectural design across India. Founded in Bangalore in 1999, this interdisciplinary design studio believes that luxury is not merely aesthetics but a dialogue between precision, context, and emotion. Its vision is to consistently deliver creativity while providing sustainable living experiences through responsible design, sustainable practices, and buildings that influence clients’ professional, social, and business lives.
The firm’s mission is to be responsive and understand clients’ concerns to enhance living standards and work environments. From clear intentions and meticulous execution to embracing advanced technology and collaborative synergy, the studio ensures that every design decision reflects excellence, purpose, and respect for the client’s vision.
At Mestiere, values are the very foundation that shapes every design, decision, and delivery. Integrity drives clarity of intention, consistency in action, and unwavering commitment to the highest standards, earning trust through transparency and honesty. Integration reflects their belief that design and build are not separate phases but a singular, holistic craft, weaving diverse disciplines into harmonious solutions.
Quality remains central, with meticulous attention to detail and dedication to exceptional craftsmanship, ensuring that every project delivers enduring value. Collaboration fuels excellence, fostering open dialogue with clients, teams, and communities, nurturing respect, accountability, and shared success. Innovation allows the firm to embrace cutting-edge technology, advanced digital tools, and evolving systems, from immersive visualisation to BIM and parametric design, enhancing both design thinking and execution.
These values are reinforced by fundamental principles that have remained consistent over the years. Mestiere prioritises quality, timelines, and budget adherence, devoting time and energy to ensuring the success of every project. Equally important is a deep respect for context, geography, contours, and topography, designing thoughtfully while utilising local resources, both manpower and material. For over two decades, client satisfaction has been at the core of the practice, supported by this enduring, value-driven approach.
With over three decades and more than 500 projects, Mestiere has grown into a full-service design-to-build studio, offering end-to-end solutions across architectural design, civil construction, interior design, and landscape architecture. From the first sketch to final handover, the firm integrates architecture, interior design, landscape, allied engineering, project management, and on-site execution, ensuring cohesion and precision at every stage.
Research-driven and rooted in context, Mestiere has grown quietly through client experiences of depth, detail, and care beyond expectation. With their work spanning residential, commercial, and public domains, they serve an extensive and diverse clientele. Some of their notable clients include Tata Consultancy Services, Satyam Computers, Shapre Global Systems, Aspects Software Technology, Thinksoft Technologies, Marshallsoft Technologies, Ashok Leyland, Chevron, Coca-Cola, Daimler Benz, Kotak, Indibulls, The Leela, Religare, SMC Capital, Airtel, European Business Technology Center (EBTC), Nokia, Centrum Foreign Exchange, Sathy International, Aliceblue Financial Services, GEPL Capital, Dawnayday AV, RPG, BPL, Toshiba, Qwikys, Smokin Joes, Skycell, SASTRA University & SASTRA Engineering College, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, ABN AMRO, Barclays Bank, Chennai Petroleum Company Limited, ARR Hotel, and many others.
With offices in Bangalore and Madurai and a close-knit team of 12 professionals, Mestiere has grown steadily through trust, reputation, and consistently delivering beyond client expectations.
At Mestiere, challenges are catalysts for growth. Every project demands alignment, discipline, and perseverance from a diverse team of architects, designers, engineers, and technical experts. Vendor collaboration, defining roles and responsibilities require constant attention, while shifting client expectations, lack of clarity in design and construction processes, budget misalignments, and funding delays add further layers of difficulty, especially on multi-year projects.
What sets the firm apart is its ability to navigate these challenges effectively. Mestiere responds with structured research, foresight, continuous learning, and timely interventions, creating a balancing effect that ensures smooth delivery. The firm’s focus has always remained inward, strengthening its own design and construction practices and continuously improving quality standards, with client satisfaction as the foremost goal.
Their travels within India and abroad provide inspiration from history, heritage, and modern architecture, while observations of people’s attitudes and behaviours enrich design thinking. Combined with the adoption of advanced technologies and techniques and the ongoing refinement of workmanship, these efforts ensure that Mestiere consistently evolves, reshapes, and raises its standards.
For Mestiere, success is measured by the trust and long-term relationships it has built over decades. Repeated client assignments, enduring partnerships, and the retention of team members and vendors reflect the firm’s consistency and reliability. Client appreciation and hundreds of testimonials continue to validate its journey and fuel new opportunities.
Under Badri Thiagarajan’s leadership, collaborations with leading multinational and Indian corporations have strengthened the firm’s ability to navigate challenges and build resilience. Mestiere’s work has been recognised nationally and internationally, including features in leading design magazines, accolades such as ‘Creative Minds’ at FOAID, the Global Architecture & Interior Design Excellence Awards (2022–2025), and a gold rating in IDPBE Design Ratings India. International projects, including the head office of a German automobile company and repeated assignments from the European Union Chamber of Commerce, along with contributions to educational institutions, further affirm the firm’s influence in shaping the field of design.
India’s design and construction market is increasingly dynamic, with players ranging from seasoned professionals to emerging talents, academically trained to self-taught. Within this competitive landscape, Mestiere thrives through a collaborative approach and skilled manpower, adapting swiftly to emerging trends while upholding its core values and design integrity.
The firm is currently working on diverse projects, including a 40,000 sq. ft. commercial space for a leading fintech company, a 40,000 sq. ft. office headquarters for a German automobile firm in Bangalore, multiple farmhouses and villas in Tamil Nadu, a medium-sized pub, and retail spaces, including jewellery showrooms. With India’s infrastructure and real estate sectors poised for growth, Mestiere continues to create exceptional spaces that deliver lasting value while advancing its expertise.
Advising emerging entrepreneurs in design and construction, Badri says, “Our journey is driven by sheer passion for quality, dedication to work, and the endurance and perseverance needed to deliver excellence. We stay rooted in ethics, stick to the basics, and uphold strong values aligned with our vision and mission. For us, client satisfaction is paramount—work always comes first.”
On growth and learning, he emphasises, “We embrace continuous learning and set our eyes firmly on the future, balancing short, medium, and long-term goals. We believe money naturally follows good work and need not be chased. True success lies in client happiness and delight—an immeasurable sense of satisfaction that goes far beyond financial reward.”
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