Open Door Design Studio

Open Door Design Studio Open Door Design Studio works towards enriching spatial experiences and creating meaningful environments. We love to travel. We travel to be inspired.

The phrase 'Open Door' is the manifesto of our practice. We are In search of new possibilities, ideas and collaborations. We are a group of crazily optimistic and energetic architects. We are passionate about architecture, about life and how what we build influences our planet. We are interested in your desires, in shaping environments for you. We believe that responsible architecture can improve the quality of your life.

Manto Dolmen Lahore - a place for you to pause and not rush the shopping experience 2024/25 lahore .fasial meters
23/12/2025

Manto Dolmen Lahore -
a place for you to pause and not rush the shopping experience

2024/25

lahore






.fasial
meters

The store grew from sketches into a space shaped by proportion, light, and material choices. Circulation, the central t...
06/11/2025

The store grew from sketches into a space shaped by proportion, light, and material choices. Circulation, the central table, and subtle shifts between zones were carefully considered to guide how people move through it. The combination of washed terrazzo, polished terrazzo, concrete, and khaptcha flooring, together with layered plywood, inbuilt lighting, and papercrete lights, makes the space tactile and measured. Translucent curtains filter sunlight during the day and work with interior lighting at night to highlight the products naturally. The space balances function, materiality, and light—it’s a quiet reflection of Manto’s identity.

Client

Principal Architect
Project Architect

Photography

The Manto Bukhari store was imagined as a garden experience. The stone bases of the fixtures sit like rocks in the lands...
31/10/2025

The Manto Bukhari store was imagined as a garden experience. The stone bases of the fixtures sit like rocks in the landscape — anchoring the space and holding the ground.

The layered edges of plywood are left visible and celebrated, their depth adding to the store’s narrative. Polished brass is used sparingly and with intention at key touchpoints, creating an understated sense of premium.

Wood and metal remain in the background, supporting the structure and keeping the space grounded. Light filters through translucent curtains, shifting gently through the day and painting the store in changing shades.

The design gives an ode to the values Manto upholds, offering a detailed yet understated backdrop for its products to stand out.

Client:

Principal Architect:
Project Architect:
Photography:

The concept behind Manto Store first flagship store is a deliberate translation of the brand’s distinctive identity into...
19/09/2025

The concept behind Manto Store first flagship store is a deliberate translation of the brand’s distinctive identity into an immersive, tactile environment.

Manto Store as a brand weaves together heritage and contemporary aesthetics, resonating with thinkers, creatives, doers, and those who challenge conventions. This ethos is woven seamlessly into the store’s design, evoking nostalgia through timeless craftsmanship while embracing modern interpretations of materiality.

The exterior stands as a striking white pearl along Bukhari Commercial Road, with a subtle, tactile richness created by an irregular stone plinth paired with a washed terrazzo façade. Visitors are welcomed through a tall, translucent glass door. Inside, an organically shaped silbatta and wood table act as a central datum on the ground floor, intuitively guiding circulation through the space.

The use of kaptcha flooring further defines this central zone, creating the impression of a miniature ‘garden’ within the interior. A polished dark grey cement floor delineates the rest of the spatial journey, while a white terrazzo edge frames and highlights the clothes on display.

Client:

Principal Architect
Project Architect

Photography

A Home in Naltar
25/07/2025

A Home in Naltar

We’re happy to share that Hammad Jameel is stepping into the role of Associate Architect at Open Door.His thoughtful des...
13/06/2025

We’re happy to share that Hammad Jameel is stepping into the role of Associate Architect at Open Door.
His thoughtful design approach, steady presence, and commitment to the studio’s ethos have shaped our journey in countless ways - we’re excited for all that lies ahead.

Massing model study for an upcoming school project.
28/03/2025

Massing model study for an upcoming school project.

Upcoming primary school in Karachi Playful spaces in a primary school can be designed in response to simple stimuli - li...
23/03/2025

Upcoming primary school in Karachi

Playful spaces in a primary school can be designed in response to simple stimuli - light, wind and movement.

The courtyards and corridors create expanding and contracting spaces for children to congregate, pause and play - while protecting the classrooms from direct sunlight and allowing the wind to pe*****te all the interior spaces.

The cascading masses of the building allow for the open spaces to be shaded, which is important in the city of Karachi. This strategy also reduces the number of rooms exposed to the eastern sunlight, allowing most of the classrooms to have larger openings which results in them being naturally and comfortably lit.

Learning Spaces :With the Foundation Public school Gulshan campus, we explored the primary staircase as a learning and g...
24/01/2025

Learning Spaces :

With the Foundation Public school Gulshan campus, we explored the primary staircase as a learning and gathering space, as well as a play-scape. The staircase wraps around the main courtyard of the school creating a boundary between the formal classroom and the outdoor play and sports activities.

The staircase expands and contracts in places, morphing into different forms - an amphitheater in parts, and a rock climbing ramp in others. The landings extend into spaces for play, drawing and exhibiting. Functions such as an outdoor library, kid size blackboards and stages for debates and outdoor classrooms are accommodated into this space. Planters have been used to bring some natural softness and texture to the staircase as well as define different zones.

The library mass becomes a part of the form of the staircase, allowing for an intersection of playful shapes in the elevation of the building as well as creating multiple volumes in the interior of the space.

Colour has been used to bring dynamism and fun to the spaces. This staircase is a joy to experience, and will allow students to create a strong and powerful association with their school. It gives the building its identity, and along with its aesthetic and functional value, it brings together the building vertically by functioning as an ascending verandah, allowing for the school community to stay connected with each other.



Photographs

Address

Karachi
75500

Opening Hours

Monday 09:30 - 18:00
Tuesday 09:30 - 18:00
Wednesday 09:30 - 18:00
Thursday 09:30 - 18:00
Friday 09:30 - 18:00
Saturday 09:30 - 13:30

Telephone

+923333972676

Website

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