We see architecture as an ongoing exploration of how materials and systems can be used, working to unlock new possibilities within existing ones - rethinking structural, construction, and building systems to meet contemporary environmental and social needs.
This is our way of thinking: one that values both tradition and innovation and is open to evolution as we learn from each project. We look to historic and vernacular precedents not to replicate them, but to understand the principles that have allowed them to endure, and to reinterpret these in ways that feel relevant today.
We work hands-on with materials, testing ideas at full scale, refining details on site, and collaborating closely with craftspeople and engineers.
Our projects often use natural and locally sourced materials - timber, lime, earth, stone, and low-carbon composites - chosen for their tactile qualities, durability, and ability to age gracefully.
In Oh Ho House, we reclaimed a locally quarried slab stone and developed an interlocking joinery system inspired by dovetail carpentry. This allowed the structure to be assembled without excess mortar and dismantled for reuse - a simple innovation that repositions a low-carbon vernacular material for contemporary architecture.
Our work is shaped by the specificities of climate, culture, and craft traditions - from the intense monsoon and heat of South Asia to the historic fabric and temperate conditions of the UK. Working across contexts has taught us to read both the tangible and intangible aspects of place: materials, skills, and environmental forces, but also customs, rituals, and cultural memory.
By engaging with local makers, suppliers, and communities, we root each project in its setting while bringing a fresh perspective from our cross-cultural experience. The result is architecture that is grounded, contemporary, and open to reinterpretation over time.
For us, representation is not simply about showing what a building will look like - it is part of how we design, teach, and collaborate. We move fluidly between hand sketches, physical models, and digital simulations, often building 1:1 mock-ups to test structural systems or material behaviour.
Many of these prototypes are developed in workshops with students, craftspeople, and builders - spaces where we teach and learn in equal measure. These sessions allow us to pass on techniques, train local labour in unfamiliar methods, and refine ideas through the insights of those who will ultimately build them.
Because our work often reimagines how materials are used, this collaborative prototyping helps us anticipate challenges, adapt details, and ensure that what is finally built reflects both the design intent and the practical realities of making.
We see architecture as a form of stewardship - for resources, for craft traditions, and for the communities who inhabit our work. We aim to make buildings that people value, adapt, and care for over time.
This is simply our way of working - one of many possible approaches to shaping the built environment - and it continues to evolve with each conversation, collaboration, and challenge we take on.
Co-Founder & Director, UK
Poonam Sachdev Kaur is an architect, interior designer, and creative strategist who bridges the worlds of making and business. With over two decades of experience, she has delivered award-winning projects, bringing together conceptual clarity with practical execution.
As co-founder and Director of Play Architecture UK, Poonam leads the practice’s international growth, weaving sustainable design with interdisciplinary collaboration and a global design sensibility grounded in material intelligence. Her background spans architectural projects, large-scale residential interiors, and strategic development, giving her a unique ability to align creative ambition with operational and business acumen.
Through her leadership, Play is expanding its presence in the UK and Europe, developing a practice rooted in sustainable architecture, material innovation, and cross-cultural exchange.
Co-Founder & Design Director, UK & India
Senthil Kumar Doss is an architect of instinct and inquiry, with over two decades of work that blends innovation with deep contextual engagement. His design approach draws from nature, structure, and the sacred, resulting in a body of work that is both experimental and grounded.
As co-founder and Design Director of Play Architecture, he has led projects that test the boundaries of material and form, from pioneering vaulting systems to regenerative design strategies. His work has been widely published and internationally recognised through prestigious awards.
Alongside practice, Senthil has contributed to academia through lectures, workshops, and juries, nurturing a culture of research and rigorous creativity that continues to shape the ethos of Play.
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