Lyth Design
Architect Apoorva Shroff’s The Hungry Caterpillar at Ashoka University is a rare architectural experiment, one that seamlessly blends sustainability, storytelling, and innovation. Spread across 650 sq metres, this one-of-a-kind structure is crafted almost entirely from bamboo, reimagining what a campus food street can be.
More than a place to eat, The Hungry Caterpillar is a living classroom – an immersive environment that students can inhabit, observe, and learn from every day.
Learning from Nature: The Origin of the Caterpillar
A few years ago, driven by a fascination with natural materials and sustainable construction, Apoorva Shroff returned to the learning desk herself, enrolling in a bamboo school in Bali. That experience became the foundation for what would later emerge at Ashoka University.
On her first visit to the site, she envisioned a cocoon nestled beneath dense tree canopies, much like a caterpillar feeding slowly, protected and at ease. The metaphor felt instinctive – universities, after all, are places where young minds are nurtured, sheltered, and constantly evolving.
This idea grew into The Hungry Caterpillar – a symbol of continuous learning, growth, ecological responsibility, and harmony with nature.
Reimagining the Campus Food Street
The brief was clear yet challenging: design a food street with character – a space that children and young adults would enjoy beyond simply grabbing a quick meal.
Nestled beneath an existing canopy of trees, the project reimagines the food street as a playful, immersive ecosystem, where built form and landscape coexist rather than compete. Curves replace rigid lines, materials remain honest, and sustainability is embedded from the very beginning – not added later as a feature.
Bamboo Gridshells: Light, Strong, and Expressive
The defining element of The Hungry Caterpillar is its bamboo canopy, which acts as both shade and sculpture.
Designed and built by Jans Bamboo, with structural design by Atelier One, London, the bamboo shells draw inspiration from the geometry of folding leaves. Curving in two directions, they form expressive gridshells that are both lightweight and structurally efficient.
- The longest gridshell spans 19 metres
- Constructed using four layers of bamboo, each 30–50 mm in diameter
- Bamboo members are woven at 45-degree angles
- Finished with crushed bamboo mats for natural shading
The use of slender bamboo sections allows complex double curvature while minimising material use and environmental impact. Jurian Sustainability resolved the architectural detailing, ensuring the structure remained both expressive and responsible.
3D-Printed Kitchens: Technology with Purpose
Complementing the organic bamboo forms are the modular kitchens, inspired by food trucks and 3D printed in concrete.
Produced by Micob Pvt. Ltd. in Ahmedabad, these units were prefabricated off-site and assembled on campus, offering a precise, low-waste alternative to conventional construction.
Key sustainability advantages include:
- Additive construction, using only the material required
- Significant reduction in construction waste
- Faster build timelines and lower energy consumption
- Thermal insulation created by cavities within the 3D-printed walls, reducing heat transfer and improving energy efficiency
This thoughtful fusion of technology and sustainability supports long-term, eco-conscious campus operations.
Furniture from Waste: Everyday Sustainability
The furniture across the food street has been designed by Placyle and crafted entirely from recycled plastic waste.
Discarded plastics are transformed into durable, weather-resistant seating – reducing landfill overflow and ocean pollution while embedding sustainability into everyday campus life. It’s a simple yet powerful reminder that responsible choices can exist at every scale of design.
Architect’s Note
“The Hungry Caterpillar is quite unlike anything I’ve done before. I set out to design an environment where sustainability was not an add-on, but the very foundation. The idea of a cocoon felt deeply resonant – a place where young minds feel safe, nurtured, and constantly evolving. Beyond its form, the caterpillar symbolises learning forever, growth, and harmony with nature, values I wanted to embed into the design.”
— Ar. Apoorva Shroff
A Space That Teaches Without Speaking
The Hungry Caterpillar is not just architecture – it is a lesson in conscious design. Every curve, material, and module demonstrates how sustainability, when treated as a foundation rather than an afterthought, can create spaces that are light on the planet yet rich in experience.
More than a food hub, it is:
- A place for curiosity and conversation
- A setting for pause and reflection
- A living example of how tradition and technology can coexist
About Lyth Design
Founded by Apoorva Shroff, Lyth Design is a boutique architecture and interior design practice known for its strong narrative approach and commitment to sustainable design. The studio’s growing portfolio includes projects for SoftBank, Prestige Group, Ashoka University, and notable private clients, with upcoming destination homes currently in development.
Lyth Design translates inspirations, ideas, and memories into efficient, practical, and emotionally resonant spaces.
About Author:
Apoorva Shroff is the founder and principal designer for the boutique architecture and interior design firm Lyth Design. Having pursued a postgraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, Shroff’s design ideology is anchored in aesthetics, sustainable and contextual design solutions, and innovative use of materials. Lyth Design aims to translate inspirations, ideas and memories into efficient and practical spatial solutions that are breath-taking. Since its inception, the practice has had a growing roster of noteworthy clients like SoftBank, Prestige Group, Ashoka University and notable celebrities, including Madhuri Dixit, for whom Shroff recently worked on a stunning new home in Mumbai.
Additionally, her own family home, Airavat, was nominated as a finalist at the prestigious World Architecture Festival. At Lyth Design, Apoorva Shroff brings together over two decades of experience resulting in its adept process of spatial storytelling that is driven by pragmatic solutions.
