Madhras brings an architect's eye and an urban designer's rigour to the way cities grow. Led by founder AbuBacker Siddiq Hasan, our research focuses on transit, public space and landscape-led places designed around people.
Evidence-led writing on how cities grow, move and are governed.
A practical roadmap for Transit-Oriented Development in one of India's fastest-growing metros: what the Chennai Metro makes possible, what is holding it back, and five reforms informed by Hong Kong, Singapore, Copenhagen and Curitiba.
Read the articleTap a station to see what the research found there: land, zoning, heritage and the lessons for Transit-Oriented Development.
Taking 3.5 acres for the station and its TOD zone meant relocating more than 200 small businesses, and legal challenges delayed it by nearly two years. Then the mofussil bus terminus moved away, about 20 km south.
Schematic map, not to scale. Findings from the MA Urban Design dissertation (University of Westminster, 2024–25). Read the full article.
Presenting ideas to founders, academics and industry.
AbuBacker pitched live at Start Up 101, an event run by the WE Network, the University of Westminster's enterprise programme for founders and freelancers. He presented to an audience of founders, mentors and fellow entrepreneurs, and met Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter Bonfield afterwards.
Masterplans, public realm and infrastructure, each tested against real-world constraints: climate, community, cost and deliverability.
A 34-hectare industrial waterfront on the Thames reimagined as a walkable, climate-resilient neighbourhood. Blue–green infrastructure leads the plan, with sponge parks, green corridors and pedestrian-first streets managing flood risk while shaping density, movement and daily life.
A heritage churchyard transformed into a safe, inclusive space for everyday life. Open sightlines, natural surveillance and informal seating invite women and older residents to use it with confidence, while a low-traffic Church Street makes it healthier to reach.
A waterfront regeneration strategy developed with the International University of Rabat. Low-traffic streets and transit-oriented growth reduce car dependency, while green corridors and public waterfront routes reconnect existing communities to the sea without displacing them.
A cruise terminal conceived as a civic destination rather than a transit shed. Green terraces, waterfront promenades and integrated ferry links turn port infrastructure into public space for leisure and everyday movement.
Design philosophy. Landscape and public realm are essential infrastructure, not leftover space. At every scale, we use blue–green systems, active travel and inclusive public space to build healthier, climate-ready communities.
Madhras takes on urban design, masterplanning and research commissions, alongside websites and brands for the built environment.