Studio Matrx Monthly · Volume 1 · Issue 5 · October 2026
Amogh N P
✦ In loving memory of Amogh N P — Architect · Designer · Visionary ✦
Studio Matrx — For Studios
Architecture · Interior Design · India
For the craft, not the quarter

The daily home for Indian architects & designers.

Open it with your morning chai — the week's regulation, the reads that matter, the events worth your calendar. And when you're ready to work, 140+ free tools, organised by how a project actually moves.

This weekLive
Toolkit140 tools
PriceFree
A serene modern Indian courtyard with a single tree and a still water channel✦

“The plinth is not optional in India — it lifts the building clear of monsoon and termites.”

Principle of the day

Fig. 01 — courtyard, light & water · 4:5
Annual · entries open 1 August

The Amogh × Studio Matrx Sustainable Architecture Awards

A living tribute to Amogh N P, honouring design that serves the land, the climate and its communities. The Professional Award (₹30,000) is open to practising architects for built or in-progress work in India; the Student Award is ₹50,000. Free entry; the last date is 30 September, with the ceremony on 7 November 2026.

See the awards & how to enter
A perforated stone jaali screen casting geometric shadows
Fig. 02Jaali — shadow as ornament.
A sculptural cantilevered concrete staircase under a skylight
Fig. 03A cantilever, lit from above.
A minimal warm Indian interior with lime plaster and timber
Fig. 04Lime, timber, daylight.

Today at the studio

Building of the Day

study one work

Le Corbusier · 1931

Villa Savoye

Poissy, France

The built manifesto of the Five Points — pilotis, free plan, ribbon window, roof garden, free façade.

Look at this today: Walk the architectural promenade: the ramp that turns moving through the house into the design.

Read more

Principle of the Day

a durable idea
A room is not a room without natural light.
— Louis Kahn
Open the Studio Almanac

The Practice Brief

The Practice Brief

Week of 16 June 2026

3 items · updated weekly

Read the full brief

Zaha Hadid Architects drops its founder's name to become ZHA — a global lesson in succession, brand and who owns a practice's name — while at home the shift to NBCS 2026 keeps rolling out state by state.

Policy & Schemes

PM Surya Ghar past 40 lakh households — rooftop solar now a standing design assumption

Deadlines & Dates

NBCS 2026 (SP 7:2026) state adoption — keep watching your own state, there is no single national switch-on

One Thing to Read

Zaha Hadid Architects rebrands as ZHA, dropping its founder's name

This week

On the board

Put the work forward.

Competitions, awards, fellowships, grants and government tenders — the moments that build a reputation and a practice. India and global, for students and studios alike, with closed calls cleared away automatically.

Confirm each cycle's terms on the official page before you enter.

Open the full board

The market

Material Pulse

indicative · June 2026
  1. OPC 53-grade cementper 50 kg bag₹380–450 Rising
  2. TMT reinforcement barsper kg₹55–72 Easing
  3. River sandper cft (loose)₹45–110 Rising
  4. Red clay bricksper 1,000 nos₹6,000–12,000 Rising
  5. Aluminium sectionsper kg₹280–430 Rising
Full price pulse

What the building costs this season.

Indicative national bands for the materials that move a budget — cement, reinforcement steel, sand, aggregate, brick, AAC, ready-mix and aluminium — each with the direction of travel and a live-check link. Plus a metro cost factor to sanity-check a number before you quote.

Indicative · reviewed June 2026 · verify the live local rate.

Open the full price pulse
Browse all 150+ tools & guides

The Toolkit

Step 1 — Pick your discipline. We'll show only what applies to you.

I'm an Architect

Compliance, plans, BOQ, site management, finance, academy.

I'm an Interior Designer

Leads, moodboards, 3D, BOQ, site execution, business growth.

Step 2 — Jump to a stage, or scroll the project arc.

01 · Winning the Client02 · Designing the Project03 · Specifying & Pricing04 · On Site05 · Closing & Growing
01Winning the Client28 tools
Pricing & fees
Design Fee CalculatorPrice your services fairly.Pricing ToolkitFrameworks for studio pricing.Consultation PricingPrice discovery sessions.Quotation GeneratorPolished quotes in minutes.Profit MarginUnderstand your real economics.Architect Fee CalculatorCOA-guidelines-based fees.Architect Fee Structures GuideSlab, lump-sum, hourly, hybrid models with city benchmarks and tax handling.Fee Proposal BuilderGenerate interior design fee proposals.Stamp Duty CalculatorShare with clients — all 28 states + 8 UTs.Capital Gains Tax CalculatorLTCG / STCG on property sales — indexation + Section 54.Home Loan AffordabilityCheck clients' loan eligibility before scoping design fees.TDS on Property CalculatorSection 194-IA — 1% TDS buyers owe on property ≥ ₹50 L.Property Tax CalculatorAnnual municipal tax across 10 major Indian cities.
Contracts & scope
Design AgreementContract templates that protect you.Scope of WorkDefine scope before you start.Payment MilestonesStructure billing cleanly.Contract TemplateLegally refined design contract PDF.Contract Clause Checklist98 clauses to verify before signing.Contract StudioAI-powered architect contracts.COA Scope of Services GuideSeven stages, deliverables, fee triggers, twelve-clause engagement letter — Architects Act 1972.
02Designing the Project53 tools
Style MatrixMap styles across a project.Material PaletteBuild coherent palettes.Color SchemeColour harmony at a glance.Moodboard BuilderAI-curated moodboards.3D Render StudioPhotorealistic renders.AI Prompt LibraryPrompts that produce studio work.AI Concept ChecklistQuality-check AI output.AI Moodboard GuideMoodboards with AI, done right.Furniture PlannerPlan layouts to scale.Furniture for Interior DesignFree 6-module course — context, ergonomics, iconic pieces, sourcing, materials & FF&E.Lighting PlannerDesign light, not just fittings.Lux CalculatorLux levels and fixture schedule.Before / AfterPresent transformations powerfully.Walkthrough ScriptNarrate designs with intent.Material ScheduleRoom-wise material finish schedule.Room MeasurementRecord wall, window and door sizes.AI MeasurementMeasure rooms from photos.Staircase CalculatorNBC-compliant stair geometry with BOQ.Daylight Factor CalculatorNBC 2016 + IS 2440 DF via Littlefair/BRE.Cross-Ventilation AnalyzerCIBSE AM10 airflow, ACH, plan-flow SVG.Septic Tank SizerIS 2470 tank + soak pit with cross-section.Seismic Zone CheckerIS 1893 zone lookup, Z factor, detailing rules.Soil Bearing CapacityIS 6403 Terzaghi / Meyerhof from SPT-N.Setback VisualizerPlot setbacks + buildable area SVG.Architect Design AIMassing, plans, facades.Vastu CompassDetect directions on site visits.Colour Theory GuideColour in Indian interior spaces.
Core architecture guides
Functional House LayoutSix-stage plan development, bubble → block → refined.Space Zoning — Public vs PrivateFour-zone model, privacy gradient, sightline test.Cross Ventilation in Indian HomesPhysics, opening types, NBC + IS 3362 compliance.Natural Light PlanningSolar geometry, DF, Olgyay shading, ECBC.Designing for Indian ClimateIMAC comfort, zone-by-zone strategies, envelope U-values.Passive Design for Indian Climate ZonesNBC's 5 zones, ECBC U-values, EPI benchmarks, sun-path geometry by latitude.Architectural Lighting DesignThree-layer model, IS 3646 lux targets, CCT/CRI, beam-angle, dimming protocols.Compact Urban Home PlanningSmall-plot design, vertical organisation, 30×40 worked example.Staircase DesignBlondel's rule, NBC Part 4, structural systems.Terrace PlanningSeven-layer build-up, IS 3067 waterproofing, zoning.Storage Planning DisciplineAudit, volume benchmarks, anthropometric reach zones, 8-module wardrobe grammar, India-specific kitchen storage.Universal-Design & Adaptable HomesRPwD Act, NBC Part 3, CPWD HG 2021 — universal-design width hierarchy, accessible bath/kitchen, aging-in-place.Client Brief to ConceptDiscovery, workshop frameworks, brief structuring, concept narrative, presentation arc.Space Planning PrinciplesBubble → block → refined, anthropometric clearances, circulation hierarchy, zoning logic.Structural Design EssentialsIS 456 / IS 875 / IS 1893 — load paths, slab thickness, column sizing, RCC fundamentals.Facade Design for Indian ClimatesSolar geometry, shading device sizing, U-values, materiality across the five climate zones.Sustainable Home DesignVernacular wisdom + embodied energy + GRIHA roadmap; passive design first, kit second.Solar Power for HomesROI, payback periods, PM Surya Ghar subsidies, BIPV, net metering, architectural integration.Green Building CertificationsGRIHA, IGBC, LEED — what each measures, fees, decision tree for residential.
Architectural styles & traditions
Vernacular ArchitectureRegional traditions, climatic logic, 8 lessons for modern homes.Courtyard HomesStack-effect physics, H/W geometry, 15-point specification.Modern vs TraditionalPlan, structure, envelope, cost — with a hybrid framework.Contemporary Indian ArchitecturePractice map since 1990, critical regionalism, 10-point synthesis.Minimalist Architecture (Indian Context)Climate fit, failure modes, class critique, appropriateness framework.Defining Luxury in Residential ArchitectureBeyond cost-per-sqft — material honesty, craftsmanship, proportion, light, silence, patina, restraint, the Indian luxury vocabulary.
03Specifying & Pricing11 tools
04On Site26 tools
Project TimelinePhase-by-phase planning.Daily PlannerStructure your studio day.Project Load TrackerSee capacity across projects.Revision LogTrack client revisions honestly.Site ExecutionBridge design to site.Daily Site LogDocument site progress.Contractor TrackerTrack vendor performance.Procurement TrackerKeep procurement honest.Variation OrdersManage scope changes cleanly.Snag ListClose out every detail.Building Bylaw CheckerFAR, setbacks, height limits by city.Site ManagementReports, RFIs, site photos.Compliance AIBylaw checks with citations.Plot Evaluation Toolkit20-parameter site scoring for plots.Construction Approval Checklist24-stage tracker — land to occupancy.Quality Assessment GuideTools, standards, state agencies.Soil Testing GuideSoil types, tests, foundation solutions.FSI / FAR Computation in IndiaMumbai DCPR, BBMP, Delhi UBBL, Chennai, Hyderabad — plus all 28 states + 8 UTs.OC, CC & Plinth VerificationSubmission workflow, multi-NOC stack (fire, lift, AAI, EC), RERA §11 linkage.Residential MEP CoordinationIS 1172 fixture units, IS 1742 drainage, HVAC and conduit/sleeve coordination.Where Projects Fail — Causal MapDefect/delay/dispute atlases, fishbone analysis, PI/CAR insurance, forensic workflow.Contingency, Provisional Sums & Risk AllocationCPWD GCC, FIDIC, NITI Aayog EPC — contingency types, provisional-sum mechanics, risk matrix, model contract clauses.Compliance Map — BengaluruBBMP, BDA, BMRDA, BWSSB, K-RERA, KSPCB — Khata, DCPR, NBPDP workflow, Sakala timelines.Compliance Map — MumbaiMCGM, MMRDA, SRA, MahaRERA, CRZ, Heritage — DCPR 2034 with Premium and Fungible FSI, TDR market, IOD/CC pattern.Working Drawings & DocumentationGFC sets, layered standards, sheet hierarchy, schedules, RFI workflow — production-ready documentation.Site Supervision ChecklistStage-wise inspection points — excavation to handover — IS acceptance criteria, deviation tracking.
05Closing & Growing22 tools
Growing the practice
Business PlanPlan the studio itself.Time vs RevenueWhere hours actually go.Commission TrackerTrack referrals and earnings.Brand PartnershipStructure collaborations.Social Media PlannerContent calendars that fit.Visual StorytellingTell project stories well.Referral SystemTurn clients into advocates.AI Workflow SOPStandardise AI use in studio.Winning ClientsLead generation, positioning, pitch deck, conversion rates, follow-up cadence for Indian architects.Finance HubInvoicing and cash flow.Vendor DirectoryContractors and suppliers.
Learning & reference
Design Thinking Course32 lessons — the design method, for students and practising designers.Vastu Meets Building ScienceRead Vastu honestly — sort every rule by the physics underneath it.Climate-Responsive DesignPassive design for India's five climate zones — read the sky before you draw.Architecture Academy5 tracks, 29 modules.Starting a Design FirmRegistration, finance, hiring, marketing.Soft Skills GuideClient management, negotiation, ethics.Digital Skills GuideCAD, BIM, 3D, AI, graphics.All GuidesThe full professional library.
For the craft, not the quarter

A tribute to Amogh N P — these tools are offered freely, to the community that shared his craft.

Read his story Open the suite