Architects Rahul Gore and Sonal Sancheti started _Opolis, a multidisciplinary design practice, in January 2001. Bringing their individual aesthetic strengths, technical expertise, creative inclinations and artistic vision to the table, the duo has made _Opolis one of the leading architectural firms in the country. Providing strong and able support to the partners, is a team of qualified, dynamic, committed and sensitive professionals offering innovative design solutions. The young firm prides itself in having stayed away from a signature style but believes that most complex and beautiful solutions are often the simplest. Their commitment to style combined with simplicity has led them to do a wide range of architectural, interior and urban projects. _Opolis has offices in Mumbai and Pune and has several achievements to their credit.

_Opolis believes that design should be timeless, which while fulfilling a client brief, go beyond it. A design should stand the test of time, style and trends. Each client is important and special to the firm, and deserves attention and time. To that end, _Opolis desires to work on only a few projects at a time to ensure complete focus and involvement. The partners strive to make the office a second home for all those who work here, to evoke a sense of ownership and belonging, and create a happy, satisfying environment which enables each one to grow and evolve. _Opolis has a strong ethical culture which drives all designs in the studio!

_Opolis has won numerous AD, IIA Awards, IIID Awards, A+D Awards and JK Cement Awards in the past few years. They have recently won the Construction World Architect and Builder Award as one of the Top Ten Young Architects of India. Their work has been widely published in leading national and international architectural magazines. The Bihar Museum, Patna – won as an international competition along with Maki and Associates, Tokyo has been recently completed. Steven Holl Architects and _Opolis won the competition for The North Wing Extension to the Bhau Daji Lad Museum at Byculla, Mumbai. _Opolis was part of the Indian team that won acclaim at the International Urban Design Competition for the Design of Sustainable Cities hosted by Japan at the World Gas conference in June 2003. More recently, Maki and Associates and _Opolis teamed up once again to win the Amravati Capital City Complex International competition.

Sonal Sancheti – Principal Designer, Partner

Sonal Sancheti has studied architecture at CEPT, Ahmedabad and has a Master’s degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, Los Angeles.

Sonal’s keen interest in Japanese Architecture led her to do intensive undergraduate research on the Traditional Japanese Architecture. She has worked with world famous Architect Fumihiko Maki in Tokyo. Having travelled extensively across the globe, imbibing art and architecture from all over the world to absorbing sensibilities and experiences from different cultures, Sonal has developed a distinctive creative style of her own. In January 2001 she started _OPOLIS a multidisciplinary design practice with Rahul Gore. Bringing their individual aesthetic strengths, technical expertise, creative inclinations and artistic vision to the table, the duo has made _OPOLIS one of the leading architectural firms in the country. _OPOLIS has won numerous National and International Awards in the past few years. Their work has been widely published in leading national and international architectural magazines.

“You only live once but if you do it right, once is enough!” This is the mantra Sonal follows to live her life to the fullest. Her penchant and passion for learning and attaining experiences has led her to pursue several interests in allied fields such as Film Making, Set Designing, Photography, Scuba Diving, Trekking in the Himalayas and studying Comparative Mythology at the University of Mumbai. She has recently co-authored a book “Scripting Destiny”. Sonal’s diverse experiences have led her to be invited as a speaker to various architectural institutions. She has also been a part of various panel discussions throughout the country. With her ongoing practice, she also takes out time to pass on her knowledge to the Gen Next. She is a visiting faculty of the design at Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture in Mumbai. Sonal is also currently pursuing a Post Graduate Diploma in Indian Aesthetics in Mumbai University.

Rahul Gore- Principal Designer, Partner

Rahul Gore with his impeccable qualifications, excellent technical expertise and extensive background in urban design has several achievements under his belt. He studied architecture at Center for Environmental Planning and Technology (CEPT) in Ahmedabad and completed his Master’s Degree in Urban Design at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).  He has worked with the world-renowned Maki and Associates in Tokyo when he won the prestigious Bunka Cho Scholarship.

In January 2001, Rahul Gore along with Sonal Sancheti set up _OPOLIS, a multidisciplinary design practice. Since then the firm has grown from strength to strength winning several national as well as international awards and has been widely published. _Opolis was part of the Indian team that won acclaim at the International Urban Design Competition for the Design of Sustainable Cities hosted by Japan at the World Gas conference in June 2003. Opolis has recently completed the Bihar Museum, Patna project – won as an international competition along with Maki and Associates, Tokyo which is now nearing completion. _OPOLIS in collaboration with Steven Holl Architects, New York won the competition for Extension to the Bhauji Daji Lad Museum at Byculla, Mumbai. More recently, Maki and Associates and _OPOLIS teamed up once again to win the Amarvati Capital City Complex competition.

Rahul’s passion for architecture has inspired him to help others acquire knowledge and learn from his experiences. He is a visiting juror at the Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture in Mumbai. He is also an Associate member of the Indian Institute of Architects (IIA). Rahul believes that in order to have a well-rounded personality, it is essential to observe and imbibe the diverse cultures of the world. To that end, he is an avid traveler. He is also a sports and fitness enthusiast and loves his game of tennis, his runs and work-outs.