Jabeen L Zacharias

Architect & Interior Designer
Jabeen L Zacharias is an Architect and Interior Designer of International repute and hails from God’s own Country Kerala, India. She graduated in Architecture from Trivandrum College of Engineering in 1984 and did her higher studies in Interior Design at New York School of Interior Design. She heads the firm Jabeen Zacharias Architects since 1990 from Cochin with satellite offices now at New York, Dubai, and Bangalore. Her thirty-five-year practice has a unique project profile bridging across many disciplines and typologies with a list of prestigious clientele ranging from Star Hotels/ Resorts for Meridien, Leela and Taj KTDC to Museum for World Bank, Showrooms, Offices, Institutions, exclusive celebrity residences etc. Hospitality of course is her best and favorite forte because it is about unique dream destinations!
Apart from being a full-fledged Architect and Interior Designer, Jabeen is also a multifaceted artist and activist. Theatre, music, dance, painting, sketching, writing have all been favored which contributes to the wholeness of ‘her architecture’. She was a Professor in Architecture at The College of Engineering Trivandrum and is still a visiting faculty at various colleges within the country and abroad. Jabeen is also a fierce advocate of ‘Design Democracy where design definitions are ensured to be ‘of the people by the people and for the people’. She engages with everyday life situations and solutions for the needy and the masses towards the dream for a ‘Brave New World’ as a columnist in many newspapers, through the Global Village Foundation Trust etc.

As a leader she has been highly active in the professional platforms of both Architecture – Indian Institute of Architects IIA and Interior Design – Indian Institute of Interior Designers IIID, holding many milestone posts at State and National levels. She just completed her term as the first National Lady President of the Indian Institute of Interior Designers. Jabeen is married to Architect Lalichan Zacharias and has three Designer daughters. Aatira Architect, married to Bhyrav Architect- (1 Leaping Frog Studio, Bangalore), Utharaa and Palaash (Furniture/ Industrial Designers – Soft Geometry California), and Aisswaria (Visual Communications /Graphics Designer Bangalore).