Kush Bhayani studied Architectural Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, earning his Bachelor of Science in 2017. His academic tenure also included global experience—studying in Barcelona and exploring European cities to deepen his architectural sensibilities.
Some excerpts from a conversation:
“I’ve had a fairly varied academic and professional journey. I began wanting to be an aerospace engineer, which gave me strong technical grounding and an understanding of precision. From there, I moved into architecture – a discipline that is deeply creative yet equally rooted in technical rigor. After that came an unexpected but extremely valuable stint in finance, followed by working with cutting-edge technology in the built environment.
All of these experiences together have created a very well-rounded foundation for me. They’ve shaped the way I think about design; not just as something aesthetic, but as something that impacts people, systems, and environments in tangible ways. My time abroad, both studying and working, broadened my perspective and helped me understand global design standards, contextual responsiveness, and the importance of innovation.
This combination of engineering, architecture, finance, and technology has made me someone who is always looking at the bigger picture – who it affects, how it affects them, and what we can do to make that experience better, whether it’s a space, an object, or an entire environment. The goal is always to create something functional, beautiful, thoughtful, and, wherever possible, groundbreaking.
All of these learnings continue to shape me as an architect and strongly influence the way I lead KULx Studio today.
Every project teaches us something new, and this one continues to influence how we approach design; by embracing contrasts and finding ways to hold them together beautifully.
One of our key collaborations is with Shakyam Studio, with whom we are developing hand-tufted wool acoustic panels. Wool, like many natural fibres, has excellent acoustic properties. By using Indie wool, we’re not only giving the material a new purpose but also turning it into something functional and contemporary.
The goal is twofold: to support artisans by giving them new avenues of work, and to push craft beyond its traditional boundaries – transforming it into functional craft, which is core to our ethos at KUL. We’re constantly exploring untapped potentials in materials and working with artisans to bring these ideas to life in ways that feel relevant, innovative, and meaningful.
I’ve been fortunate to travel extensively across North and South America, Southeast Asia, and a large part of Western and Central Europe. These experiences shaped my worldview and helped me understand design and culture from many different perspectives.
But at the core of it all, I’m incredibly proud to be Indian. I’m a strong believer in the India growth story, and one of my personal missions with KUL is to take Indian design to the world. To show that India is not defined only by craft or traditionalism, but also by innovation, technology, and a contemporary design narrative.
I’d just like to share a little more about how we operate at KULx. We’re not structured like a traditional architecture studio. We take a. Yes, we work on architecture and interiors, but we also develop products and ideas rooted in Indian materials, culture, and craftsmanship, created with a global audience in mind.
Our aim is to build a universal Global Indian narrative across spaces, objects, and experiences. We’re constantly pushing ourselves to explore new directions, rethink the familiar, and design in ways that are both contemporary and deeply contextual. For us, innovation and tradition do not compete; they coexist.”
Read the full story that first appeared in The Global Indian here:
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