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How we work
The architect walks every site at every stage. The build is run by the studio's engineer.
Site.
It starts on WhatsApp. You send your plot details — location, dimensions, an approximate budget, when you're hoping to start. Sangeetha or Sathya replies within twenty-four hours. There is no sales team. The first conversation is with the architect or the engineer who will work on your home.
Before we quote anything, Sangeetha visits your plot. She walks the boundaries. She looks at how the sun moves across the site at the time of day you're most likely to be home. She notices the trees. She talks to the neighbors. She does not quote a number until she has seen the site, because the number depends on the site. The visit takes ninety minutes. There is no charge.
Drawing.
If we agree to work together, we sign a small concept-design contract — typically three to six weeks of design exploration. During this phase, Sangeetha sketches by hand. We meet two or three times.
By the end, you have a concept design, a structural skeleton, a material palette, and a fixed-price construction contract. The concept-design phase is paid; if you don't want to proceed, we part ways with the concept design as yours to take to another studio.
Approval.
Bangalore plot approvals depend on your Khata. A-Khata under BBMP. Panchayat plots under the local authority. BDA layouts under BDA. We tell you which one applies on day one, and we file the drawings with the right office. You do not chase the approval consultant — we do.
Approvals usually take six to twelve weeks depending on the office and the season. We update you weekly on progress.
[ 80-second video: How Bangalore approvals work ]
Build.
Construction takes nine to fifteen months depending on the size of the home. Sangeetha walks the site every two weeks. Sathya is on site every working day, supervising the build. The site engineer reports to him.
You get weekly photo updates on WhatsApp. We invoice on milestones, not on calendar dates — payment is tied to specific stages of completion (foundation poured, structure topped out, services rough-in done, finishes complete).
Handover and after.
When the home is ready, we walk through it together. We hand over keys and a folder containing every drawing, every approval, every warranty card, every vendor contact.
We come back at three months and at six months to fix anything that has settled, cracked, or revealed a problem. At Estate tier, we come back at twelve months as well, and the first year of post-occupancy snagging is part of the work. After that, you have our number. The relationship doesn't end at the handover.
The three tiers.
Studio Spetia takes commissions at three scopes. Each tier is a different kind of project, not a different quality of attention.
Tier one
Atelier
Single-family Bangalore homes, 2,400 to 4,000 sqft, eleven to fourteen months.
The Atelier tier is the studio's foundational scope. Architecture, structure, interiors, and construction under one Studio Spetia contract. Designed by Sangeetha. Built under her direct site supervision and Sathya's daily oversight.
Atelier projects are typically first homes for a family — designed for the specific plot, the specific family, the specific way the family lives. The construction follows Studio Spetia's standard material specifications, refined over twenty years of Bangalore building practice.
Joinery is in seasoned teak or rosewood. Flooring is vitrified tile, kota stone, or polished concrete depending on the site. Interior finishes are integrated into the architecture from the first sketch — no separate 'interior design phase' pasted on later.
Atelier is the right tier for the family that wants a home designed and built by an architect, on a single contract, without managing a contractor separately. Pricing is shared in WhatsApp after a brief qualifying conversation.
Tier two
Bespoke
Larger homes, 4,000 to 6,500 sqft, custom millwork, full landscape, named-architect involvement on every detail.
The Bespoke tier is for projects that need more from the studio. 4,000 to 6,500 sqft homes, typically on larger plots in Whitefield, Sarjapur, Yelahanka, or the city's outer fringes. Sangeetha is named on the contract as the design lead — every detail comes through her.
Bespoke includes custom millwork (designed and fabricated specifically for the home), full landscape design (planting, grading, hardscape, water features where the site allows), and lighting design (every fixture chosen, every circuit drawn). The interior is bespoke to the home — built-in furniture, custom kitchens, fitted wardrobes designed as part of the architecture rather than as a follow-up exercise.
Bespoke projects take fourteen to sixteen months. The fee structure includes a higher design intensity per square foot and a wider material palette. Bespoke is the right tier for the family that wants a home not just designed but designed deeply — where every detail bears the studio's hand. Pricing arrives in WhatsApp.
Tier three
LandscapeEstate
Full custom villa, 6,500+ sqft, photography rights, post-occupancy snagging through Year One.
The Estate tier is the studio's full-scope offering. 6,500 sqft and above, on plots that allow architectural ambition — half-acre Yelahanka sites, two-acre weekend homes outside the city, the rare Indiranagar bungalow plot. Sangeetha leads from concept through handover; the project becomes the studio's primary commitment for its duration.
Estate includes full architectural design (every room, every transition, every threshold considered as a separate design problem), structural engineering, custom millwork, landscape, lighting, art and furniture procurement (we curate the home's first collection if you want us to), and post-occupancy snagging through the first full year of habitation. Photography rights are included — we photograph the home professionally for the studio's portfolio, with the homeowner's permission, and a copy of the photographs is yours.
Estate projects take sixteen to eighteen months. The studio takes one or two Estate commissions per year. The fee reflects the depth and the duration. Pricing arrives in WhatsApp.
Materials
What we build with.
Studio Spetia's standard material palette is built on twenty years of Bangalore practice. We work with materials that age well in Bangalore's climate — kota stone for floors that handle the monsoon, seasoned teak for doors and frames that don't warp in humidity, polished cement for surfaces that grow more beautiful with use. We avoid materials that look impressive at handover and look tired in three years.
Joinery is local. We work with carpenters in Yeshwanthpur, Hosur Road, and the old furniture quarters in Cox Town who have been making doors and windows for fifty years. We do not import joinery. We do not use particle board where we can use wood. The teak in our doors is reclaimed where possible — old houses being demolished in Malleshwaram, Basavanagudi, and Cooke Town are a regular source.
Stone is from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh — kota from Rajasthan when the site asks for it, but mostly local granite, sandstone, and the slate-blue floor stone that comes from Sira. Tiles are vitrified — we specify the brand and the dimension on the contract, no surprises at handover.
For the Bespoke and Estate tiers, the palette opens up. Marble where it earns its place. Imported wood where the project asks for something the local market cannot supply. Custom-fabricated metalwork for stair railings, gates, light fixtures. The palette is always specific to the home — not a fixed list.
We design with Vaastu when the family asks. We do not impose it when they don’t.
Common questions
Straight answers before a site visit.
How long does a Studio Spetia home take?
Eleven to eighteen months from agreement to keys, depending on the size and scope of the home.
Who designs the home?
Sangeetha designs every Studio Spetia home. She has twenty years of practice in Bangalore and has designed eighty homes.
Do you handle BBMP and BDA approvals?
Yes. Studio Spetia files BBMP, BDA, and panchayat approvals depending on the plot classification.
How many homes do you start each year?
Studio Spetia starts six homes a year in Bangalore so each project gets direct attention.