About - Kohelika Kohli
Kohelika Kohli received her formal education as an architect, from the ‘Pratt Institute of Design’ in New York and graduated in May 2004. In 1996, aged 16, she went to Millfield School in Somerset, England to do her A-levels. In her final year, she was appointed Head of School and was also awarded the ‘Harvard University Prize for Excellence’. Prior to this, in India, she had been a National Equestrian Champion, at the sub-junior level, for five consecutive years. During her second year at Pratt, she interned in England with Sir Norman Foster. There she worked on projects in London and in the USA, notably on the Foster Extension to the Boston Fine Arts Museum, originally designed by IM Pei.At Pratt, she was also a Resident Advisor for two years, until she went to do a 'Study Abroad Programme' in Rome in 2003. She travelled extensively throughout Italy, primarily studying the works of Palladio and Michelangelo and also the works of one of her favourite designers, Carlo Scarpa. On her return to New York, alongside architectural school, she began to work for a very renowned architectural and design firm, ‘Oliver Cope Architects’. They specialize in high-end town houses in New York and the Hamptons. She worked with them initially as an intern, specializing in making models. Within a year, she was individually conceptualizing and executing architectural and interior work. After graduation, she went on a road trip across America, to look at and study great urban design and architecture.
After graduation, she returned to India and in October 2004, started her own architectural practice, ‘Kohelika Kohli Architects’. In 2010 she established ‘K2India’ with her mother, Sunita Kohli, an award-winning interior designer, conservationist, and furniture manufacturer. Kohelika Kohli is the CEO and Creative Director of K2India. She is a Trustee of the Museum of Women in the Arts India and sits on the board of a few design institutes.
Kohelika Kohli believes that the job of an architect/designer cannot be simply based on one’s credentials and academic qualifications. An equally important role is played by one’s experiences and exposures to people, places, and cultures. She is the recipient of several design awards and her work has been featured in many prestigious design publications. She was the youngest architect whose project was featured as a cover story in Architectural Digest India in 2015.
In December 2023 Kohelika Kohli was given the EDIDA Award for Designer of the Year, the most prestigious International Award for Design in India. She received the Aces of Space Award for the Best Residential Project of the Year. In 2014, K2India received the first ‘Architectural Digest 50’ Award and has since earned this honour every year, including in 2024.