Charles Putera

For Charles, architecture is not a mere physical object, but is about the human experience. In his design process, Charles always strives to inculcate a heart and soul into his architecture that will add to the human experience. Architecture, like human beings, should not be just good-looking but should have a heart and soul at its core.

Working mainly in India where higher density and lack of infrastructure and city planning creates very stressful environments for the city dwellers, Charles is an advocate for closer dialogue and feedback between architects, planners, and government agencies to create better living environment. He is driven by the belief that architects and planners, being directly responsible for creating environments, should also always be aware of social nuances and climatic conditions, and ensure that they are locally appropriate.

Projects of significance which Charles has worked on include Ecoworld and the Skyview. Ecoworld’s importance stems from it being the landmark project in India that placed DPA’s India office on the map. Its consideration for the heart and soul in architecture, meticulously contextualized, has resulted in a first-of-its-kind, world class environment in the country. The Skyview pushed climatic concern as the main design agenda. To shield the building from the southwestern sun’s glare, a double skin system comprising triangular sun-shading panels were incorporated into the vertical expression of the façade. This envelop system serves dual purposes of aesthetic and function in creating a stand-out building and reducing solar heat gain.

Creative design being Charles’ forte. He strives to deliver unique buildings that possess both visual appeal and emotional poignancy, no matter the locale. With over 15 years of experience handling pan-India projects, he possesses a high degree of familiarity navigating the local context of India and is carefully attuned to the unique requirements of each client, able to adroitly handle the vast range of different preferences across the Indian market. Charles’ seasoned expertise enables him to benefit clients with his wealth of global experience and regional familiarity with India to produce relevant and sensitive projects that respond to history, culture and society.