India’scommercial architecture is undergoing a profound transformation. Cities no longer grow in concrete silos but in stories told through steel, glass, space, and purpose. As metros expand and skylines evolve, the role of architectural consultants has shifted from mere designers to cultural translators and urban choreographers.

Within this vibrant ecosystem, Sum Architects has emerged as a quiet force one that blends artistic elegance with real-world utility. Headquartered in the beating heart of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), it’s not just designing commercial spaces, it’s designing possibilities. Their approach seamlessly integrates compliance, creativity, user well-being, and market viability into a single blueprint. It is a consultancy that doesn’t just respond to India’s urban growth, it helps shape it.

Sum Architects began not with a business plan, but with a moment of deep creative fulfillment. The firm’s founder Umesh Gala, a practicing architect with a B.Arch degree and rich experience across architectural firms and real estate companies, found early inspiration in a single project, a social building that he designed and executed to great acclaim.


“The way people admired its aesthetics, the way it touched them, that moment made me realize I wanted to create something of my own”, recalls Umesh Gala, Founder, Sum Architects. The company took shape in 2016, guided by more than just professional ambition. The name Sum is as personal as it is symbolic.

It represents the cumulative wisdom of their journey (‘the sum of experience’), while also paying homage to family with the ‘S’ representing his wife, a real estate designer, and the ‘UM’ drawn from his initials. What started as a two-person endeavor rooted in shared purpose has grown into a consultancy with a growing national footprint and a compelling design legacy.

Purpose Woven with Aesthetics

It’s own philosophy is rooted in contemplative listening and accurate translation of purpose into space. Instead of leaving an indelible mark, they start with an intimate, perceptive understanding of every client’s operational, functional, and aspirational requirements. Whether a commercial developer seeking to squeeze out the highest FSI or a school requiring spaces that foster creativity and movement, it designs personalized environments that seem necessary in their correctness.

Their method begins with understanding user journeys, daily flows, climatic behavior, future adaptability, and brand expression. From there, Sum Architects layers in spatial logic, comfort, and form. Only after these elements align do aesthetics enter the conversation, acting not as a surface embellishment but as an expression of deeper harmony. Each project is a response to its context and its users. Every line drawn on a Sum Architects blueprint is deliberate, backed by by laws,

shaped by cultural intuition, and balanced with cost-efficiency. Their design philosophy doesn’t chase trends it crafts timeless value.

It has worked across a wide array of commercial verticals, including real estate developments, redevelopment projects, co-operative societies, industrial campuses, hospitals, and educational institutions. Each sector presents its own challenges, budget control for developers, code compliance for schools, operational flow for hospitals, or land constraints in urban pockets.

In one memorable project, the team faced a uniquely shaped triangular plot, with over 50 percent of the area reserved for road development. Instead of seeing the limitation, they saw an opportunity. Their design solution optimized space while creating a building with deep, striking balconies that gave it an unmistakable premium identity. That signature form later became the project’s main selling point a perfect example of form meeting function through innovation.

For largescale projects, Sum Architects uses a phased planning approach. They plan elaborate master layouts in advance, taking into account client feedback and working together with a pool of MEP consultants, structural engineers, and project managers. Each phase is carefully planned to maintain synergy on services such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. The company approaches execution not as an after thought, but as a design discipline in its own right.

At Sum Architects, we believe great architecture doesn’t begin with concrete or CAD, it begins with listening, as every space we design is a thoughtful response to real human needs, aspi -rations, and stories

The Art of Compliance

Navigating India’s dense regulatory framework is not for the faint of heart. But for Sum Architects, compliance isn’t a constraint, it’s a design parameter. They treat building bylaws, zoning codes, and Development Control Regulations (DCRs) as creative boundaries that help refine the architectural language of a space. This mindset enables it to consistently deliver projects that don’t just look good on paper, but also sail through approvals and stand resilient over time.

Their strong foundation in licensing consultancy gives them an edge in complex scenarios, especially in redevelopment and urban renewal projects. “DCRs are not restrictions, they are the grammar of our cities. Our job is to write beautiful sentences within them”, remarks Umesh Gala. Sum Architects isn’t a firm that measures success through the number of awards lining a shelf. Instead it treasures the recog -nition that comes from client trust and regulatory achievements.

They have cracked complex approvals, provided strategic consultancy in critical licensing cases, and consistently delivered projects that turn heads and close deals. “We haven’t entered many competitions, but our work has entered people’s lives. That’s the award we value most”, Umesh says with humility. Client testimonials and repeat collaborations form the cornerstone of Sum Architects’credibility. They believe that enduring relationships matter more than fleeting accolades.


Technology is no longer an amenity in architecture, it’s the new vocabulary. Sum Architects has been utilizing 3D modeling and rendered views for years to assist users and clients with visualizing scale, flow and form. Recently they’ve begun incorporating Building Information Modeling (BIM) into their workflow, which brings greater precision, coordination, and data-driven design.

“With BIM, we don’t just design structures, we simulate them. Every decision becomes measurable, reversible, and smarter”, shares Umesh. As it expands its technological toolbox, it is also extending its geographical reach. With active interest from multiple Indian states, the firm is preparing for Pan-India expansion. Landmark layouts and township-scale developments in the pipeline promise to become defining case studies in the firm’s portfolio.

Moreover, it is now experimenting with experiential architecture. The focus is shifting to microlevel elements from natural lighting and thermal comfort to sensory tactility and way-finding. The goal is to create emotionally intelligent spaces that serve not only efficiency but also delight, empathy, and mental well being.

Future Vision

The future of Sum Architects is expansive. Their upcoming landmark commercial layouts in MMR are poised to become benchmark projects in scale, sustainability, and spatial storytelling. With each project, they are raising the bar not just in terms of design language but also in terms of what architecture can mean in a rapidly changing India.

It envisions a practice where creativity and compliance, aesthetics and accessibility, efficiency, and empathy all exist in dialogue. As Umesh Gala puts it, “Architecture is not just the act of building, it is the art of belonging. Each space we create must allow someone to feel seen, served, and inspired”. With one foot firmly in technical rigor and the other in poetic imagination, it is set to transform how Indian cities look, feel, and function.