Now that “sustainable architecture” is emerging as the new norm, “the idea now is to create something that is in sync with the environment and surroundings, rather than sheer replicas of signature global architecture like those in Dubai and Shanghai,” pitches in Andrew Wilson, an architect from Australia. Swati Nanda, a resident of Sector 22, after taking into consideration Corbusier’s model of shade and light has changed an overbearing glass wall to a brick structure with windows and slanting roof. According to her, “sustainable homes means you can maintain and stay there for a lifetime.”

Also seeing a paradigm shift is the equation of form and functionality. “People have now started paying attention to the utility of the design than the design itself,” says interior designer Anita Bhatia, who feels that now it’s all about organising spaces. “Clutter of artifacts is being replaced by one old classic piece,” she reels, explaining that even when it comes to curtains, it is about giving the traditional ones, an upper hand. “Just remould the old ones and you are done.” She also suggests the conventional use of plants to control climate and to add to the affordable and timeless aesthetic delight.