Walk into a space by Contours — The Design Co. (CTDC), and you’ll feel it before you see it. The quiet harmony. The deliberate play of light and shadow. The textures that almost insist you reach out and touch them. Everything seems inevitable, as if it could only ever have been designed this way.
Founded in the early 2010s by Anand Mehta and Prashant Halankar, CTDC has become an award-winning studio celebrated for work that balances beauty, function, and emotion. From expansive villas to intimate residences, from corporate headquarters to cultural campuses, their projects vary widely—but each bears the unmistakable CTDC signature: context-rich, human-centered design.
Two Minds, One Vision
Anand and Prashant met while studying at Rachana Sansad’s School of Interior Design. They couldn’t have been more different. Prashant thinks in grids and plans, precise and methodical. Anand sees in gestures and moods, intuitive and visually daring. Rather than dilute their differences, they built a studio on them—knowing that tension, when channelled, can produce design with depth.
Early on, small projects became their laboratory, proving that this partnership could turn contrasting perspectives into seamless environments. The more they worked together, the more clients noticed a rare balance: creativity without chaos, structure without sterility.
Design Begins with Listening
For CTDC, the starting point is never a sketch—it’s a conversation. They listen for what’s said, but also what’s unsaid. How a family lives. How a team works. How a space should feel in morning light versus evening calm. The site itself speaks, too—its climate, its culture, its surroundings.
From these observations, they shape spaces that are sophisticated yet grounded, global in sensibility yet deeply connected to place.
The Turning Point
Like most young studios, CTDC’s early years meant persuading clients to take a leap of faith. Their approach? Let the work speak. Each project, no matter the size, was executed with obsessive attention to detail. Soon, recommendations replaced pitches. Their reputation for delivering both vision and flawless execution became their greatest marketing tool.
Freedom in Goa
One of their most defining projects: a 15,000 sq. ft. villa in Goa. The client handed them the rare gift of complete creative freedom. The result was a home that dissolved boundaries between inside and out—courtyards opening to the sea breeze, material palettes echoing the coastal landscape, and spaces that encouraged a slower, richer way of living.
It proved something Anand and Prashant had always believed: trust is the most powerful design material.
Sustainability, Naturally
For CTDC, sustainability isn’t a checkbox—it’s a reflex. They favour locally sourced materials, design for energy efficiency, and choose solutions meant to last decades, not seasons. Smart systems for climate and lighting are woven in, not as gimmicks, but as invisible enhancements to daily life.
Wisdom for Tomorrow’s Designers
Their message to the next generation: stay anchored in your values, but remain open to the world. Listen more than you speak. Observe more than you sketch. Treat every project as a chance to evolve.
Looking Ahead
CTDC is now exploring international markets, ready to carry their philosophy to new geographies. But their principles will remain unchanged:
- Every space must have a soul.
- Every line must have a reason.
- Every client must feel understood.
From their Mumbai base to projects that cross borders, Anand Mehta and Prashant Halankar are doing more than designing spaces. They’re crafting experiences that feel inevitable, effortless—and unforgettable.
