Architects and Interior Designers in Chennai (2026): 10 Studios on MOA

There are 10 design practices in Chennai listed on Member of Architecture: 6 architecture studios and 4 interior design studios. 6 of them have had their Council of Architecture registration verified, and 1 have published finished work on MOA that you can look at before making contact. This page lists every one, with what they do and how to reach them directly.

How this list was put together

Worth being straight about the basis, because many "top architects" lists are advertising in disguise. This is not a ranking of the best architects in Chennai: nobody can credibly produce that. It is every practice on MOA that works in the city, ordered by the work they have published on MOA and then by the number of completed projects they report.

• No paid placements. Nobody paid to appear here, and MOA takes no commission on any project that follows.
• Completed-project counts are self-reported by each studio and cover their whole career, not only the work shown on MOA.
• COA verification means MOA has checked the architect's registration with the Council of Architecture. Only a registered architect may use the title "architect" in India, under the Architects Act, 1972.

Architecture studios in Chennai

Latha Architects

• Architect: Hari Hara Raj
• Projects published on MOA: 3
• Completed projects (self-reported): 50
• Services: Turn-Key Projects, Design Consultancy, Construction Drawings, 3d-Rendering, Interior Designing
• Works in: Chennai
• COA verified: yes

View Latha Architects on MOA

JJA

• Architect: Rahul J
• Completed projects (self-reported): 50
• Services: Design Consultancy, Turn-Key Projects, Construction Drawings, Plan Approvals, Interior Designing
• Works in: Bengaluru, Chennai, Mangaluru, Vellore
• COA verified: yes

View JJA on MOA

Ramanan Arumugam Architects

• Architect: Ramanan Arumugam
• Completed projects (self-reported): 40
• Services: Interior Designing, Turn-Key Projects, Design Consultancy, Construction Drawings, 3d-Rendering
• Works in: Chennai
• COA verified: yes

View Ramanan Arumugam Architects on MOA

Pranav Mantra Studio

• Architect: Revathy dillikumar
• Completed projects (self-reported): 30
• Services: Interior Designing, Design Consultancy, 3d-Rendering, Construction Drawings, Plan Approvals
• Works in: Chennai
• COA verified: yes

View Pranav Mantra Studio on MOA

Mann & Muse

• Architect: Shreya
• Completed projects (self-reported): 3
• Services: Interior Designing, Construction Drawings, 3d-Rendering, Design Consultancy, Plan Approvals
• Works in: Chennai
• COA verified: yes

View Mann & Muse on MOA

The Design Lab

• Architect: Vidhya Rajagopal
• Completed projects (self-reported): 2
• Services: Interior Designing, Design Consultancy, 3d-Rendering, Furniture Design, Construction Drawings
• Works in: Chennai
• COA verified: yes

View The Design Lab on MOA

Interior design studios in Chennai

Homzinterio

• Designer: Select Home Interior Designers pvt ltd
• Completed projects (self-reported): 100
• Services: Interior Designing
• Works in: Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai

View Homzinterio on MOA

THAWINFRA DEVELOPERS PVT LTD

• Designer: TARA PRASATH
• Completed projects (self-reported): 100
• Services: Design Consultancy, Turn-Key Projects, Interior Designing, Contractor, Construction Drawings
• Works in: Coimbatore, Chennai, Bangalore Rural, Madurai, Mangaluru

View THAWINFRA DEVELOPERS PVT LTD on MOA

Livspace Home Interiors

• Designer: Lehadharsini J
• Completed projects (self-reported): 30
• Services: Interior Designing, Construction Drawings, 3d-Rendering, Design Consultancy, Furniture Design
• Works in: Chennai

View Livspace Home Interiors on MOA

Artid Architects

• Designer: Manoj Kumar v
• Completed projects (self-reported): 15
• Services: Design Consultancy, Interior Designing, Turn-Key Projects, Construction Drawings, 3d-Rendering
• Works in: Chennai

View Artid Architects on MOA

What these studios offer

Across the 10 practices listed, the services on offer are: 3d-Rendering, Construction Drawings, Contractor, Design Consultancy, Furniture Design, Interior Designing, Plan Approvals, Turn-Key Projects. Not every studio does everything, so check the individual profiles. Scope is the most common source of disagreement later on.

Building rules in Chennai: CMDA, the local body and TNCDBR 2019

Before you brief anyone, it helps to know who approves what. Chennai sits inside the Chennai Metropolitan Area, and every plot in Tamil Nadu is governed by one state rulebook: the Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019 (TNCDBR), notified by G.O. Ms. No. 18 on 4 February 2019. Under rule 5, planning permission in the Chennai Metropolitan Area is issued by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) or by a local body to which CMDA has delegated that power, and the building permit is issued by the executive authority of the local body. Inside city limits, that local body is the Greater Chennai Corporation.

A few points from the rules, and from the amendments CMDA publishes alongside them, that shape how you hire:

• Who must sign. For a non high rise building up to 14 m tall, the owner needs a Registered Architect or a Registered Engineer. Taller non high rise buildings also need a registered developer and registered structural, construction and geotechnical engineers. The 14 m threshold replaced 12 m through G.O. Ms. No. 69 of 11 March 2024.
• Architects are checked against COA. Since the January 2020 amendment (G.O. Ms. No. 16), the authority accepts an architect with a B.Arch or equivalent degree, at least two years of experience after it and a Council of Architecture registration certificate, instead of registering architects itself. Engineers and other professionals still register with the competent authority.
• Decision time. Once the plans and every other requirement are in, rule 10 says written permission is to be issued within 45 days. The 2020 amendment cut this to 30 days for buildings under 1,200 sq ft. The authority can ask for more particulars within 15 days of receiving the application.
• Validity. A planning permission or building permit is valid for five years, and construction must be finished within it. It can be extended once, for three more years, if you apply before it expires (rule 14).
• Completion certificate. Most buildings need one before water, sewer and electricity connections are given (rule 20). After G.O. Ms. No. 70 of 11 March 2024, residential buildings up to 14 m with no more than 8 dwelling units or 750 sq m are exempt. Where a completion certificate is needed, your architect or engineer also submits progress certificates at plinth and last-storey stage along the way.
• Applications are online only. CMDA's Online Planning Permission Application page says documents and drawings are accepted only online, and that owners must invite their architect or engineer to the application through the Tamil Nadu Single Window Portal.

The state has amended the TNCDBR many times. CMDA lists fourteen amendments between January 2020 and October 2025, and this summary covers only the points above. Ask your architect to check the current rules for your plot, especially FSI, setbacks, road width and parking.

Four questions worth asking before you appoint anyone

Most homeowners ask about fees first and regret it. These tell you more:

1. Have you built on a plot like mine, under the same authority? Approval processes differ by authority and zone. Someone who has filed with yours recently saves you months.
2. What is included, and where does your scope end? Concept drawings, construction drawings, approvals, liaison work and site supervision are often priced separately. Get the boundary in writing.
3. Who runs my project day to day? At a small studio it is the principal. At a larger one it may not be. That is fine, but you should know before you sign.
4. Can I speak to a client from two years ago? Recent clients are still in the honeymoon period. Older ones can tell you how the building aged and how overruns were handled.

For a longer checklist, see 15 questions to ask before hiring an architect or interior designer.

How fees usually work

Three models cover most of the Indian market: a percentage of project cost, a rate per square foot, or a fixed fee for a defined scope. Percentage fees are common on larger residential work, and per-square-foot pricing is more usual for apartment interiors and renovations. Ask which model a studio uses before discussing numbers, because the same total looks very different under each. Our guide to architect and interior designer fees goes into more detail, and the Chennai construction cost breakdown helps you set a realistic budget for the build itself.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a registered architect to build in Chennai?

You need a registered professional, though not necessarily an architect. Under the TNCDBR, a house or other non high rise building up to 14 m tall can be designed and taken through approval by a Registered Architect or a Registered Engineer, and taller buildings need a larger team of registered professionals. Interior work inside an existing flat usually does not need a permission: rule 10 lists works such as flooring, painting and false ceilings that need none. Anything affecting structure, plumbing stacks or the facade generally does, and housing societies have their own rules. Confirm with CMDA or your local body before you begin.

How long does a residential project take?

Design and drawings typically take two to four months, approvals vary by authority and by how complete the file is, and construction of a full house usually takes a year or more. Apartment interiors are faster, commonly three to five months from design to handover.

Does MOA charge for introductions?

No. Enquiries go straight to the studio, with no commission on either side.

How do I check an architect's registration?

Look for COA verification on their MOA profile, or confirm their registration with the Council of Architecture. Our COA guide explains how.

Browse every practice on Member of Architecture, look at their published work and message studios directly. If you practise in Chennai and are not listed here, create a profile. It is free and takes a few minutes.

Sources

• Public studio profiles on Member of Architecture, read on 17 Oct 2026. Services, cities and completed-project counts are supplied by each studio.
• Council of Architecture (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
• Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, Government of Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu Combined Development and Building Rules, 2019 (G.O. Ms. No. 18, 4 February 2019), hosted by CMDA (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
• Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department: Amendments to the TNCDBR 2019, G.O. Ms. No. 16, 31 January 2020, hosted by CMDA (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
• Housing and Urban Development Department: TNCDBR amendment on non high rise building height, G.O. (Ms) No. 69, 11 March 2024, hosted by CMDA (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
• Housing and Urban Development Department: TNCDBR amendment on completion certificate exemption, G.O. (Ms) No. 70, 11 March 2024, hosted by CMDA (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
• Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority: TNCDBR 2019 and amendments (accessed 17 Oct 2026)
• Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority: Online Planning Permission Application (PPA) (accessed 17 Oct 2026)