“Why We Wander” – The Journey Behind Wandering ARBO

Some journeys begin with a map and mine began with a curiosity to travel to sketch and document it. After being inspired over the years with my travel experiences for my architectural practice; Wandering ARBO was born. All those quiet walks through places have so much to say and make me feel, that it was essential to document them as they speak loudly than ever.

Through Wandering ARBO I would like to venture into new places that speak softly — a handmade door in a coastal village, the echo of children’s laughter in a Montessori courtyard, the scent of lime plaster drying under a sunlit wall. As architects, we have always believed that the truest lessons in design often appear when we step outside the studio.

This space is my travel diary — but not in the usual sense. It’s less about me and about sharing this experience with few other’s as well. The destination is all up for quite observation and about moments that stay with us. The rhythm of a street in Pondicherry, the earthy calm of Auroville’s courtyards, or the feeling of light shifting through an old school corridor. These are the fragments that shape how we think, draw, and build.

At Atelier ARBO, we often ask ourselves: What makes a place feel alive? The answer rarely lies in form alone. It’s in the pauses, the textures, the way air moves, or how a community agrees to gathers around a space. Wandering helps us notice these things — the in-betweens, the ordinary, the overlooked.

Through Wandering ARBO, we hope to share these encounters — part travelogue, part sketchbook, part reflection. You might find notes from a school visit in Chennai, a morning spent in an old bookstore, or thoughts on how natural ventilation makes a classroom feel freer. Some posts may be deeply personal; others might simply document the poetry of a place.

To wander is not to drift aimlessly — it’s to stay open. To walk slower. To listen. And sometimes, to be reminded why we began designing in the first place. Here’s to slow travel, thoughtful spaces, and the many paths that lead us.  Write to us if you are interested to know more about our next curated trip in India for Sketching at atelierarbo.india@gmail.com