The Rise of Parametric Design in India: How Sushant Verma Helped Shape a Movement (from Zaha Hadid Architects to rat[LAB] Studio) Sushant Verma—often regarded as a pioneer of parametric design in India—has been one of the central figures behind that shift. From his time at Zaha Hadid Architects (London) to research-driven practice and teaching across geographies, his journey has helped translate computational design from a global discourse into a thriving Indian ecosystem.

In a world where architecture and design are rapidly being transformed by parametric thinking, digital fabrication, and AI in architecture, the need for meaningful education has never been greater. What began in 2017 as a hybrid experiment in design education has, over nearly a decade, evolved into an internationally recognised learning ecosystem — the SmartLabs Programme, curated by rat[LAB] Studio and its academic arm, rat[LAB]EDU.

In a time where every industry is racing to adopt Artificial Intelligence (AI), architecture is slowly but steadily redefining its relationship with technology. While global headlines speak of breakthroughs from Apple Intelligence, OpenAI, and Microsoft Copilot, a quieter evolution is unfolding in India’s architectural landscape. At the center of this silent shift is LabRat.ai—not a product, not a platform, not public-facing—but an internal AI engine developed by rat[LAB] Stu