Bengaluru’s four-day design festival examined housing, heritage and emerging technologies through a distinctly people-first lens

In December, Bengaluru’s design calendar welcomed back Designuru 5.0, a four-day festival that brought architecture, interiors, craft, technology, and culture together under one roof. Hosted by the Indian Institute of Interior Designers (IIID), Bengaluru Chapter, the ‘Festival of Design’ this year as explained by Ar. V. Vishwanath, Chairperson IIID BRC, was themed ‘Design for Everyday Life’ and explored how thoughtful design could shape everyday living, with Livingetc India returning as the media partner for a fifth consecutive year.

One of Designuru 5.0’s most engaging highlights was ‘Namma Mane’, an exhibition of Architect-Designed homes for compact urban plots, demonstrating how smart planning and material choices could deliver both comfort and quality living on plots as small as 20×30 ft. Developed in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Architects, the showcase directly addressed Bengaluru’s evolving housing realities.

Innovation played a central role throughout the festival. A live Robotic 3D-Printing demonstration offered a glimpse into Bengaluru’s four-day design festival examining housing, heritage, and emerging technologies and their potential impact on residential building. Across the venue, immersive installations and material showcases by leading brands encouraged hands-on engagement with finishes, systems and surfaces, sparking ideas for both renovation and new-build homes.

Alongside this future-forward thinking, Designuru also celebrated Karnataka’s Architectural Heritage. The students’ work exhibition brought together models, sketches and documentation of historic sites, spotlighting the state’s legacy alongside the next generation of design talent. This was complemented by a thoughtful exhibition on the revitalisation of traditional Toda huts from the Nilgiris, exploring how indigenous building systems can be sensitively adapted for contemporary living.

Beyond the exhibitions, Designuru 5.0 hosted a packed programme of talks, panel discussions and workshops, bringing professional insight into the public realm. Key voices included Ar. Raghavendra Shanbhag (WATG, Singapore) and Ar. Peter Rich from South Africa, alongside civic and industry leaders such as Maheshwar Rao (IAS), L.K. Atheeq (IAS) and Uma Reddy, who addressed Bengaluru’s urban challenges during the panel Bengaluru: Infra-Woe to Wow!

Workshops on working drawings, mood boarding, storytelling and design detailing, alongside sessions on emerging construction technologies, added depth to the programme. Open and inclusive in spirit, Designuru 5.0 made a persuasive case for design as an everyday essential. ♦