Alaya Design Studio is based out of Rajpur, a small settlement on the foothills of Himalayas, just outside the town of Dehradun in the state of Uttarakhand. Working in the Himalayas, a region characterized by small settlements spread over a vast remote mountain landscape that is often lacking employment opportunities; our work began as an effort to share our interest and academic training in sustainable design with the local community.
We began in 2008, starting an initiative to train local youth in carpentry, using local materials like wood, bamboo, natural fibers etc. Over the years, it grew into a design-led social enterprise, anchoring and promoting a local ecosystem of artisans, informal sector based producers, raw material providers, local customers, entrepreneurs and community based organizations.
We continue to work with local youth providing them on the job training in basic carpentry and employment opportunities in the in-house Furniture and Woodworking production facility at Alaya Design Studio. Over the years several of our trainee / apprentices have gone on to work in other organizations, or started micro enterprises of their own.
Today Alaya Design Studio has established itself as a local brand specializing in custom designed furniture and furnishings made in eco-friendly materials for both the residential and hospitality markets.