The Most Creative Architecture Firms to Lookout 2021

WWWW.THEENTERPRISEWORLD.COM W W . T H E E N T E R P R I S E W O R L D . C O M||APAC A P A CEDITION E D I T I O N| |APRIL M A Y 2021 2021

The Most Creative

RCHITECTURE FIRMS to Lookout

2021

Bhawna Khanna Founder & Owner Studio Astrid India

Bhawna Khanna

Inspiring the Better Living

Subscribe How about showcasing your products to 60,000+ C-suite Subscribers?

To get recent updates of our magazines

SUBSCRIBE US info@theenterpriseworld.com

HALOCORE

PROTECT SENSITIVE & CONFIDENTIAL DATA THAT IS NEEDED OUTSIDE OF SAP. SWITZERLAND

www.secude.com

INDIA

|

USA

Contact@secude.com

“Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness.” – Frank Gehry

The A/E/C industry is not only the doorway to the future but also a measure of the increase in human technology and intelligence. Architecture has always been a beacon of growth of the human civilization, and the more futuristic and intelligent the infrastructure is, the more advanced the civilization is, thus, creating a heavy dependence and expectation out of the Architectural and Design firms. They are not only the glimpse of the future but also have the responsibility to make the best infrastructure that not only is efficient, viable, and of course futuristic, but safe, secure, and provides maximum utility.

The Enterprise World special issue, The Most Creative Architecture Firms to Lookout in 2021, features the journey, stories, and ideologies of the most innovative and out-of-the-box architecture firms. Gain insight into their work environment, their breakthrough design, and their dedication to providing nothing less than elegance and excellence. Get inspired from the conversation with the CEOs, Founders, etc., and find a reason to pick any of their services and become a part of the intelligent, skyscraping future.

The cover story of this feature highlights and showcases the leadership, vision, and expertise of Ms Bhawna Khanna, Founder and Owner of Studio Astrid India. She is not only a leading architecture designer but an entrepreneur providing immaculate and top-notch services to her customers, based on their demands and requirements with the latest industry trends and knowledge packed in a powerful combination of foolproof standards and practices. She is an inspiration and a successful leading businesswoman. Find out what makes Studio Astrid India creative and always ahead with time and deliver one of the best architectural services.

Read the scintillating story and dynamic vision of Ms Suchi Vora, Founder and Owner of SVAC. SVAC is a young and intimate team of dynamic professionals driven by the same passion, to create something unique, always. Everyone's ideas on the team are to be heard, that’s how they grow, as a company and as a designer.

There is a lot more to read inside.

Happy Reading!

lik

Adeeb Ma

Adeeb Malik

A New Approach To Modern Living www.panchshil.com

The Enterprise World, 420, Pride Purple Square, Above SBI, Wakad, Pune. 411057

9552931801 Follow Us On:

For Editorial Concerns: editor@theentetpriseworld.com For Sales & Branding Enquiries: sales@theenterpriseworld.com For Subscription: info@theenterpriseworld.com Publisher The Enterprise World Creative Content Editor Rushikesh | Adeeb Marketing Coordinator(USA) Peter J. PR & Marketing Coordinator James H. Business Development Executive S. Yadav Creative Design Head: V. Mittal Social Media Manager Avinash G. Digital Circulation Manager Amanda V.

This list is NOT a ranking. The companies on listed in magazine serve different aspects of the market, making ranking them in any order except revenue impossible and unfair.

We try to bring a perfect platform for business organization to showcase their valued products/ services.

Copyrights © The Enterprise World | 2019. All Rights Reserved. The images and content included in this magazine should not be copied, transferred or reproduced in any form or by any means, electronics, mechanical, photocopying, recording, otherwise, without proper permission from The Enterprise World.

The Enterprise World solely owns all the reprint rights.

Leaders in Spotlight This issue of The Enterprise World, The Most Creative Architecture Firms to Lookout in 2021.

The cover story of this feature highlights and showcases the leadership, vision, and expertise of Ms Bhawna Khanna, Founder and Owner of Studio Astrid India. She is not only a leading architecture designer but an entrepreneur providing immaculate and topnotch services to her customers, based on their demands and requirements with the latest industry trends and knowledge packed in a powerful combination of foolproof standards and practices. She is an inspiration and a successful leading businesswoman. Find out what makes Studio Astrid India creative and always ahead with time and deliver one of the best architectural services.

Grab the conversation with Mr Pranav Iyer, design Principle at Ground 11. Ground 11 is a full-

service architecture and urban design resource that concentrates on the built narrative – architecture, urban design, and landscape – to make vital, exciting destinations out of clients’ tangible and intangible requirements.

Get inspired by the work and design of Studio Symbiosis which is an award-winning multidisciplinary Architecture and design studio based out of Stuttgart and New Delhi. Learn the shared journey of Amit Gupta and Britta Knobel, founders at Studio Symbiosis, and what Studio Symbiosis is all about.

Read the scintillating story and dynamic vision of Ms Suchi Vora, Founder and Owner of SVAC. SVAC is a young and intimate team of dynamic professionals driven by the same passion, to create something unique, always.

Everyone’s ideas on the team are to be heard, that’s how they grow, as a company and as a designer.

C O N T E N T S

08

Bhawna Khanna Inspiring the Better Living

Ground 11 Architecting buildings, architecting reputation

24

mayaPRAXIS and its gentle magic of design

Motivation Why business magazines are considered as a great source of motivation

30

28

Studio Symbiosis For, To, and By Performance Driven Architecture

SVAC Crafting the future of architecture with the most unique designs and international collaborations

38

20

34

Expert’s Opinion The world is our backyard

Business Essentials How to start an online business at home without investment

42

C

O

V E R

BHAW KHA

Inspiring the B

08 | May 2021

S T O RY

WNA ANNA Better Living www.theenterpriseworld.com | 09

B

ecoming an entrepreneur is opting for a new life altogether, and living the life of an entrepreneur is living many lives packed in one where the troubles and challenges are always keeping one on the edge and demands a lot of sacrifices, discipline, and most of all an unwavering spirit to cross all the hurdles and always prepared to face more. The life and journey of a successful entrepreneur are always heard and respected because everyone understands the enormous hardships and sacrifice to attain that place in the hall of fame shared by successful entrepreneurs, businessmen/businesswomen alike.

Women entrepreneurs are hard to come by as they are often pulled down and often have more troubles when starting a business but it is the spirit and audacity of some women that not only commands utmost respect but also applaud for their relentless efforts and making them one of the most inspiring dynamic women business leaders in 2021.

Bhawna Khanna is the Founder and Owner of one of the leading architecture studios, Studio Astrid India. She is not only a leading architecture designer but an entrepreneur providing immaculate and top-notch services to her customers, based on their demands and requirements with the latest industry trends and knowledge packed in a powerful combination of foolproof standards and practices. Bhawna, with her relentless efforts and a nevergiving-up attitude, has made her not only a successful entrepreneur but her story is not less than an

10 | May 2021

ONE DAY LESS, ONE DAY NEARER. BHAWNA KHANNA Founder & Owner Studio Astrid India

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 11

| Cover Story

answer to those who feel women cannot overcome critical situations and perform at their peak capability no matter the hurdle, no matter the stake. It’s not the success, it's not the story, it's the dynamic leading businesswomen, we are here to celebrate and tell the tale of, as inspiration is just the first flavor of this exemplary entrepreneur’s life.

How Studio Astrid Design came into existence and the initial challenges faced by the young woman entrepreneur.

Having no prior knowledge or

12 | May 2021

connections, Bhawna set off to secure admission in one of the top colleges outside Delhi. She traveled 60 km one way to her college via public transport, showing up to learn, to gain all that she can, every single day and without any hesitation. Bhawna has proved that that where there is a will there’s always the way! Bhawna’s journey is a story of courage, resilience, and determination while it is also dotted with numerous traits that are truly worth emulating.

midnight thought; she decided to start her venture by the name of Studio Astrid Design. Upon sharing her dream with her parents, she did not receive support as they had fear of rejection and she did not have experience and money. With no experience but immense willpower, Bhawna knew that it would be super hard. However, she also knew that it was always meant to be. With faith in herself and her God, Bhawna plodded ahead, and the rest is history.

Bhawna’s break came dressed as

There were constant challenges and

situations thrown at Bhawna even before her studio came into existence as being a young woman entrepreneur, it is challenging to leave a mark in society. Bhawana rode through thick and thin, proving to herself, her family, and everyone that she is no less than any other architect, the only difference is she is one of the leading women entrepreneurs and her design studio is very popular and the clients are more than eager to avail the services and products offered by Studio Astrid Design. Some of the initial challenges faced by Bhawna were getting leads via different platforms, coordination with labor, vendors, and clients, and synchronizing everyone on the same point.

The compelling factors leading to the much-deserved growth and success of Studio Astrid Design.

propelled them to achieve this growth and success. Due to their immaculate work and pristine services, they got featured in a lifestyle magazine and were awarded in 2018.

There is always one project that makes or breaks your dreams, aspirations, desires, and hope but most of all your entrepreneurial life and your company. For Bhawna it was their first interior project, which not only gained them recognition in the market but also

Every assignment is vital to her team and most of all to Bhawna and they believe in carrying it with utmost dedication and sincerity, from installing a small book-shelf to a space crafted till perfection, there is no way they will not deliver their best and their utmost

standards no matter how big or small the project is, which not only speaks a great deal about the engagement of the studio with their customer but also speaks of their goals and mission to provide no less than perfect products and services to their customers.

Bhawna is a young entrepreneur who grabbed an entrepreneur award for her determination and leading an example of success by her actions. From being a one-woman army to managing a team of 10

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 13

| Cover Story

people in her firm, she is paving the path for success each day, making sure that she not only enables her dream and providing exquisite products and services, leading business.

The unmatched services offered

by Studio Astrid Design, new offerings, and the reasons for the studio’s superiority in the competition in the market.

The services offered by Studio Astrid Design are: - Architecture and Interior Design consultation.

- Vastu Consultation.

- Set Designing.

- Furniture Designing and Turnkey solutions.

- Paintings and wall arts.

They are planning to launch customized theme-based cutleries and crockeries for their projectbased clients. Over the years, they have always seen their clients finding it difficult to pick interiorbased products in the existing market, so they decided to customize different products for them.

No matter how much they do, they always find it less. The driving force of perfection takes them forward. They now do turnkey projects and everything, from structure to linen, is executed with their team of experts.

What makes them different is their belief- “Anything but Ordinary”.

Each space is unique and important for them and it is catered with utmost dedication and sincerity.

These are some of the reasons catapulting Studio Astrid Design to

14 | May 2021

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 15

| Cover Story

The entrepreneurial trajectory of Bhawna Khanna.

Bhawna brings to the table more than 6 years of extensive Architectural experience across the Residential and Commercial sector that has not only equipped her with strong Project and Design Management skills but also a complete and detailed understanding of how the work is to be carried out, to get the maximum efficiency and the best results in complete sync with the timeline of the project.

She defines herself as an experienced Creative Director with a demonstrated history of working in the design industry, having strong deposition to challenge the status quo to make things work more effectively and efficiently making her not only a dynamic women business leader but also an expert in her field, enabling her to get the best results and projects delivered with an unmatched customer engagement and experience.

In 2018, she was awarded the title of young entrepreneur of the year

by Spark Excellence awards. In 2019, Studio Astrid Design’s project got featured in Fashion Wave magazine. In 2021, her story got featured in Storyofsouls.com and her article was featured in Delhi Magazine in the same year.

The exemplary team and the work culture of Studio Astrid Design.

They believe teamwork always

16 | May 2021

leads to dream work. In the studio, the whole team is like one big family; accepting each other’s viewpoints and perspectives. Their trust and dedication towards each other make them strong and unique, giving a boost to the company’s pristine project deliverance and overall growth and development of the studio.

They have a plethora of experiences with every single client. But they always remember their first client, for whom they designed a bookshelf, and her words saying that keep up this dedication and work and you have a way to go. These words not only speak of the sincerity towards their work but also speak of the studio's mission to provide the best possible products and services, no matter what the customer wants, they will provide, but only the best.

The CEO’s views on the competition in the market and her take on how to promote woman entrepreneurship.

Bhawna believes she is not a part of any race or any competition in the market. She and the team of Studio Astrid Design believe in improving their work each day by learning from their success and failures.

Bhawna has a very unique and different approach and ideas for promoting women entrepreneurs, she believes instead of doing a baby shower for women, we should focus on the business shower, where we have these informal meets to get our friends started with networking and marketing their start-ups.

“

SUCCESS ISN'T OVE IT'S WHEN EVER YOU GET A LITTLE THAN THE DAY B IT ALL ADDS - DWAYNE “THE ROCK" JOH

“

the hall of fame among the leading and most successful design studios.

ERNIGHT. RY DAY E BETTER BEFORE. S UP. E HNSON

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 17

ENBRACE UNCOMPLICATED LUXURY AT OUR 5-STAR HOTEL IN MUMBAI

www.marriott.com

| Interview with The Enterprise World

Ground 11 Architecting buildings, architecting reputation

A

beautiful workplace or a home is a dream for many.

It is the right of every individual to make a dream place beautiful and a most happier place to live. To turn their dreams into reality, Ground 11 offers the most creative Architectural solutions.

With many years of expertise, Ground 11 depicts development and imagination to consolidate the pith of both the customer and their space.

Ground 11 is a full-service architecture and urban design resource that concentrates on the built narrative – architecture, urban design, and landscape – to make vital, exciting destinations out of clients’ tangible and intangible requirements. It is a scalable, modular company, combining the strengths of its own office with a highly talented and experienced network of consulting architects, designers, engineers, and other specialists. In particular, Ground 11 revels in projects that pose unique challenges and require unexpected, innovative, and highly creative solutions.

In a talk with Mr. Pranav Iyer, Design Principle at Ground 11, he shared his journey throughout and what Ground 11 is all about.

20 | May 2021

• What were the initial challenges you faced?

We initially faced challenges that included a lack of experience and therefore a comfort gap between any potential clients and us. We worked tirelessly towards reducing and then largely eliminating it and were supported through this journey by clients who reposed immense trust in our abilities.

• How were the first few years of your Architecture Firm?

The first formative years were at the same time a struggle and a revelation. Every small project was celebrated, and was an educative experience for us all, in every way.

It was also the time where we gravitated towards what would become our design methodology.

• Which was that point that triggered the growth of the firm?

An IT Park that we did in Pune, with RC Sons, Chennai, where we were a part of a large and complicated project that was challenging at many levels. It gave us the confidence to look higher.

• How have the firm’s graphs changed since the foundation?

Can you share a few statistics?

We have moved from a two-person firm to a 25 strong team, and have grown by over 60% per annum in the last five years, including 2020.

• What is the reason behind your firm’s long-standing success?

The constant search to expand our skills and go outside our safe zones. It is this that encouraged us to explore different geographies and architectural typologies in over 20 other countries.

• What influenced you to start an Architecture Firm?

A passion to create something tangible that was used and interacted with people so intimately and would outlive us. Every building can be a small part of our soul that reaches out into the future.

• What are the products/services the firm focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

We specialize in Architecture across scales and typologies, urban design, and project structuring/project strategy planning from land acquisition to and through construction management and supply chain optimization as required. We also

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 21

| Interview with The Enterprise World

Do or do not!

There is no Try. - Yoda, Star Wars

Pranav Iyer Design Principle GROUND 11 have a significant footprint and expertise in the comprehensive design of premium residences, while delivering the project by value addition without quality reduction. Our difference stems from our involvement both before and after actual project design and construction, at the strategy level.

We have leveraged our multinational experience by being able to do a Helical Forward Model for strategic, logistical, financial, and architectural project design and 22 | May 2021

management. This skillset dovetails seamlessly into the traditional 'project construction management’ roles that exist today, that we oversee but do not do ourselves.

• How do you decide to take the firm a step further in terms of your products/services?

That is very simple. Do better than you did yesterday. Learn from everyone and everything. And leave your ego at the door. The rest takes

care of itself.

• How do you combine beauty and function while designing?

The latter is in our control, while the former is a realization of each client’s vision. That happens only if we sit and take the time to understand the client, the project, and how that client sees her project.

Our real work begins after we understand enough about the person we are designing for, to be

able to start forming a design.

satisfaction, not mine.

• How do you think is the architecture market evolving?

• Is there any special experience with your clients you would like to highlight?

It is evolving rapidly, though erratically. Some of the most fascinating are the parallel schemes of thought that encapsulate a return to traditional and vernacular architecture while experimenting with a parametric and digitally driven toolset to achieve it. It’s a great time to be alive, in more ways than one.

• Can you please brief us about your professional experience?

I have been practicing for over 22 years, before which I was a student at APIED, Gujarat. Those five years gave me the foundation to step out into the field, with a positive attitude and friends who have been my pillars of support in the journey.

• What are the key achievements of your entrepreneurial journey?

A specific set of achievements would include our first large building, the first house we did in Somalia, and an ongoing $2 Billion planning project in Lagos. What I feel are true achievements are a crystal clear understanding of what I don’t know, and what people call 'a case of clinical optimism’.

• How do you look after your employees? What makes your team unique?

I try to look after my employees like I would like to look after myself. Mistakes are allowed, just not the same one twice. Curiosity is encouraged. And they know that I am there if they need me. They are unique because they work for their

There are too many to list here, but three come to mind. One is when a 24-year-old client gave me at 21 years old with zero experience in an office building to do, and told me, ‘How bad can it be? Go for it.’

The second is when a prominent developer from Pune saw my struggle with the rather large building we were designing and told his team to give me some time to come to grips with the scale. The third is not an incident, but a person, with whom we started work designing the gate for his house, and 22 years later he is a mentor and a friend. I’m still designing for him, and it does at times include gates.

• With rising technology how is the Architecture Designing sector has changed over time?

The biggest change has been the almost complete transformation of the field into a digital ecosystem, with everything from 3d printing, BIM, and ever-evolving AS and VR tools. The second has been the explosion of new materials and technologies that have spread across the globe, thanks to the web.

The world and our profession have become global in a very complete sense.

• What drives your design decisions? What are some of your largest inspirations?

The site, the design program, and most importantly the client’s perception of what she feels she needs. Every new project starts

with a clean slate free of preconceived notions of context and vocabulary. The project itself feeds the design as understanding grew.

• One person who you admire the most?

Priya V. Ram and C. Vijayram, of RC Sons Chennai, both very senior architects who have guided me throughout my practice, and have always helped the firm and me in particular through the worst and the best. Two truly mind-bogglingly incredible people I am blessed to know both professionally and personally.

• Whose business story do you find the most inspiring?

Ar. Dinesh Panwar, the Design Principal of Urbanscapes in Delhi. I have seen his growth as an architect from a shy and rather quiet student to what can only be described as an architectural tour-de-force, with multiple international awards, including the Architect of the Year award last year.

• Constant vigilance- a need or a strategy? Please share your views.

It has to be a strategy, effective only after you have identified your business’s most vulnerable aspects.

After that, it is almost subconscious attention to mitigate business risk and maintain business continuity.

The Pandemic has given us all a fresh perspective on this.

• It’s a rat race out there. How do you cope with that?

The best way to cope with the rat race is to find races you can win.

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 23

| Business Story

mayaPRAXIS and its gentle magic of design

24 | May 2021

D

imple Mittal and Vijay Narnapatti run a partnership that weaves the threads of work, family, finance, education, research and social existence into their fabric of life. Their partnership began as collegemates at the School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and blossomed into more than 25 years of work-life engagement with shared experiences, actions and aspirations. While this is not rare in the design discipline, they have charted an interesting journey along the way.

Their firm, mayaPRAXIS, an architecture + design firm, has been nurtured into a thoughtful and critical design practice. Founded in 2001 in Bangalore, mayaPRAXIS has located itself in the realm where design is responsive to client and context; and remains principled, honest and strong. The team’s works have been recognized nationally and internationally for a creative, sustainable and practical approach. This approach is crafted specifically for each project, be it an alternative school in mud brick in bangalore, 4- star hotel inspired by the sea in Baharian, a hill resort that sits lightly in the middle of the forest in Shillong, a public street market in old Bangalore or a cool footbridge on a busy road.

Dimple and Vijay moved to Bangalore after 5 years in the USA, in September 2001, the year when 9/11 crash happened. New to Bangalore, they setup mayaPRAXIS in deeply challenging times - starting afresh with a new life and business in an unfamiliar city, making new friends and professional relationships. A slow beginning for the design practice was complemented by an active teaching role in the Bangalore’s Schools of Architecture in the first few years. A landscape architect friend, a chartered accountant uncle and a businessman cousin from Delhi set off the trickle of early projects and widening of relationships, helping find a slow but firm foot in their journey. Business grew slowly by word of mouth, from project to project, starting off in a shared office space with the friend and moving onto a small but separate office in a ‘barsati’.

Early efforts of aiming high with proposals to potential clients, participating in design competitions, etc. met with limited success. From a 2 person ‘partnership’ it slowly grew to a 10 person firm, enabling the team to win some bigger projects, competitions and recognition along the way.

Dimple Mi al Vijay Narnapa i

mayaPraxis got Young Architect of the Year [JK Cements] award www.theenterpriseworld.com | 25

| Business Story

in 2007, a Young Designer recognition in the popular Indian Architect and Builder magazine, a winning entry in the Lighting museum design competition organised by KPTCL for its 150th anniversary gave the firm recognition amongst peers in the design community. Events like this gave confidence to the partners and regard for mayaPRAXIS in the Design community. But they did not necessarily result in a windfall in the business of architectural projects. That met with a slow and steady growth more because of business development initiatives of the partners.

After graduating from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi in ‘92-’93, Dimple and Vijay started a firm in Delhi, just 2 years after graduating, with a friend [Anamika]. They called the firm Dialect Architecture. This enterprising move came after a stint of a couple of years of work at eminent architectural practices in Delhi, with diverse job profiles.

Vijay was Assistant Editor to an upcoming Architecture Magazine edited by Architect Gautam Bhatia.

And Dimple worked in the eclectic design studio of Revathi & Vasanth Kamath, rethinking modern architecture with an indigenous awakening. But Dialect Architecture had a short life, when all three decided to venture for higher education in the US. After higher studies in the the US, recharged with an MS in History and Theory of Architecture, they worked at firms in the San Francisco Bay Area from 19982001. This gave them a global exposure. Vijay worked on the design of perhaps the first large 26 | May 2021

office space leased

by Infosys in the Bay Area in 199899 as part of an established firm AP+I Design the Bay Area. And Dimple worked on office projects for a wide range Bay Area IT firms, with the new, funky innovative and cheerful workspace design ideas for clients like Sun Microsystems, etc.

The experience of structured but ‘casual’ work environment in the Bay Area, run very professionally but with a space for innovation, discussion, critique and feedback helped Vijay and Dimple structure their own practice as a new generation practice in the similarly energetic and inclusive Bangalore.

A culture of creative, modern and thoughtful work can be seen in the portfolio and the work environment at mayaPRAXIS. A free and open office culture led to a young but energetic design practice, eager to prove themselves. The big transition was initiated when the firm moved into its own premises in 2013, a work of art and architecture that exemplified the driving principles of the firm.

Modern and innovative in it architectural character, the new building for mayaPRAXIS had walls that were made using blocks from the earth from the same site.

Steel, concrete, reused wood and earth were brought together

cleverly and innovatively to create an artful and warm space for the office. This bigger, innovative office impressed clients, and wellwishers and gave the firm impetus to grow. Strategic decisions to diversify the portfolio of works from a dominantly residential one towards more institutional, hospitality, public and Masterplanning projects worked in its favor. This diversification was followed by enlarging the team to include more senior architects with a team structure that enabled better accountability and efficiency. A Yoga retreat in Hosur, a 145 room 4-star hotel in Bahrain, a large 150 upscale villament development and a 100-acre masterplan triggered a growth of business for the firm. The firm grew to a 15-20 person strength over the 2013-2020 period.

This was coupled with some welldeserved recognition - awards, articles in journals, interviews,

For international projects, the firm used a different strategy where all drawings were made before construction as a one complete package, while for the Indian environment the production of work was synchronized into corresponding stages. This and other strategic, type specific understanding kept expenses in check and balanced revenues between lucrative and low fee projects. exhibitions and lectures, etc. The design studio attracted a better quality of younger architects seeking to be part of the team which helped realize better delivery of good design. The active marketing strategy of the Directors led to a notable new projects and to the recognition of their abilities amongst a select client pool. In a slow and steady manner, the growth was aided by a drive to do things in an appropriate and sustainable manner. Keeping an ethical practice and a positive attitude the firm is known for being receptive to the client and other stakeholder’s requirements but the work is executed with a strong vision and logic. The quality and recognition of the works demonstrated a translation of creative ideas to reality, in a way that few design firms manage to do in the Indian industry.

Dimple and Vijay see the potential of combining the high tech with the crafted in India, resulting in a character that is unique and sensible in modern India. The availability of ancient craftsmanship and the latest technology makes the design a lot more interesting and powerful. This is a key aspect of their successful approach of “Feel good, look good and work good at appropriate cost.”

Their designs remain strongly relevant to context, - climate context, material context, social context making them modern and forward thinking. This is especially important in a social media influenced world that is bombarded with visuals in the internet from all over, where contexts and content dissolve quickly into only visual delight and titillation. It is important to balance the necessary and appropriate with the client

aspirations that are now international and fluid. Early inspirations for Vijay and Dimple were the Italian architect Renzo Piano and his ‘Workshop’ in Genoa, Sri Lankan Architect Geoffrey Bawa’s earthy modern and artful work across Sri Lanka, the social concern about the city and landscape of people and spaces in the works of Charles Correa. The cutting edge is woven with the craft-ness of the Indian cultural landscape in the works of mayaPRAXIS. As the works grew in complexity, the design studio has shifted to a more collaborative approach enabled by technology and network. For the Gandhi Bazaar project, a diverse set of consultants from different disciplines collaborated on redesigning a heritage market street in Bangalore.

For a complex form for footbridge a computation expert from Ahmedabad was engaged to develop the framework. For a large residence in Shillong, the online collaboration tools help in keeping track and coordinating work at site.

This structured and forwardthinking approach has enable the firm to continue its care for detail, professionalism and appropriateness in varied contexts with different challenges. In Dimple’s words, “One need not be part of the rat race. We need to have our place in the world doing what we love, with people whose company we enjoy.” Or as Vijay reminds us in the saint Jalaludin Rumi’s words - “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 27

| Motivation

Why business magazines are considered a great source of motivation

28 | May 2021

I

t’s not the easiest job being either an employee, entrepreneur or employer especially in these times of cutthroat competition. Extrinsic rewards like a bonus, salary increment, paid leaves, etc. albeit act as a huge push to keep on going with a particular task at hand but at a length, the inspiration, determination and aspiration to adhere to motivation tends to lag due to discouragement or disinterest due to which not only the employee will underperform but might lose his/her sense of self and the reason why they even took up this piece of work, to begin with.

Company culture shapes motivation Introduction of psychic or intrinsic rewards is psychological rewards like appreciation after performing a meaningful task and providing the expected output which tends to cater to one’s pride, feeling of contentment and worth which is directly proportionate to job performance automatically.

One of the best possible ways to add intrinsic value to one’s job and provide intrinsic rewards is through a business magazine which acts not only acts as a space for the employee of the month section, articles, business deals and profits but also as an arbitrator to ease the employees and offer a personal approach to reason with a client as there is more to the job than being paid. A business magazine’s role is to instil creative solidarity, meaningfulness, purpose which in turn suffices the goals of better performance, progress, interest and desired outputs. It enables one to sustain and strive for advancement to the point of having the best outputs and multiply the efficiency of the employees. It formulates the minds of its readers with the hope of making them more determined.

Subscribing to the aforementioned pointers and benefits, business magazines or company magazines is one of the best sources of motivating its team’s spirit and morale as individuals as well as at a collective level. Helping them to imbibe the policies, attitude, and make the desired changes in their professional life, to help them achieve their goals and dreams, also boosting the morale of their peers, in turn creating an environment that does not only foster growth, learning, and coordination amongst everyone, but also pushing each individual to have their contribution, and have holistic development and growth of their career as well as their personality. Business magazines not only help create a familiarity amongst companies, about their working, their methodologies, but also gives an emerging company a complete picture of the scenarios they might face, and gain better insights on how to tackle the same. This not only helps to keep the company run smoothly but also keep the motivation and energy of the team/employees in check.

Business Magazines, news of yesterday or tomorrow?

Business magazines are not only available in hard copy but are also widely available in various formats, at a touch of your smartphone, and in any language you want. As the world is shifting to the online mode, magazines have always been the one to read in one’s hand, where one can feel the smooth cover and pages, the colours, the savouring articles, stories, interviews, and much more.

Business magazines are not only a great source of inspiration, motivation, and spurring ideas, creativity, etc. but also a great piece of entertainment along with the latest information of many industries and trends. Business magazines not only are crucial to keeping up with the changing times and trends, especially for people related to it. Business magazines are one of the few sources of information and entertainment that keeps one away from the screens, and pushes them into a trance, full of some good old fashioned paper turning, interesting reads!

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 29

tta i r B

l e b o Kn

Amit Gu pta

&

| Interview with The Enterprise World

“

“

There are 360 degrees, so why stick to one?

- Zaha Hadid

30 | May 2021

Studio Symbiosis FOR, TO, AND BY PERFORMANCE DRIVEN ARCHITECTURE

S

tudio Symbiosis is an awardwinning multi-disciplinary Architecture and design studio based out of Stuttgart and New Delhi. Our studio’s name itself defines the ethos of the practice. They aim to create a built environment that exists in symbiosis with its surroundings.

Sustainability is at the core of their design studio and is reflected in projects ranging from masterplans, biodiversity parks, hospitality architecture, museums to even the scale of product design.

In a talk with Amit Gupta and Britta Knobel, founders at Studio Symbiosis, they shared their journey throughout and what Studio Symbiosis is all about.

• Tell us about the company.

At Studio Symbiosis we successfully delivered prestigious hospitality as well as masterplan projects. In the last few years, the studio expanded into in-house teams of Landscape, sustainability, interiors, and product design. Also, there is a separate smart geometry group in the office, which looks into research and development in the field of digital architecture.

• What were the initial challenges you faced?

Our design studio started by bagging three prestigious projects, namely Rai Bareilly Sports city,

200 rooms Hilton Ahmedabad and Stuttgart villa. Given the fact that the founding partners had practiced for most of their professional careers in Europe, it was critical to understand the execution technology in India. These are two worlds apart.

In Zaha’s office, we would just send a 3D BIM model to the contractor to get the coordinates in place but in India, the role of technology on construction sites was very limited over a decade ago.

The practice made sure to go slowly, in terms of not trying too many projects in the beginning and to be very critical in terms of aligning the design and drawings in terms of the construction technology.

• How were the first few years of your Architecture Firm?

We were lucky to hit the ground running. We participated in a design competition for a sports city and we’re honored to have won it at the onset. Then followed Hilton Ahmedabad and a master plan project. With these three projects, we kick-started a diverse portfolio of projects. We were mindful to focus on the projects at hand and take it slow in the initial years.

We were brought up in the middle of a technological revolution at AA and Zaha’s office when computational techniques were

considered as fringe and alternate.

We adapted this algorithmic, iterative design philosophy in our projects to create a performancedriven design.

• Which was that point that triggered the growth of the firm?

It has been a constant growth in our office, with the focus on the present, rather than the future.

Slowly and steadily we grew in the architects in the office and also the projects.

• What is the reason behind your firm’s long-standing success?

Our core principle is “Performancedriven architecture” and that is what we will keep on pushing in the years to come. It is architecture with a purpose and meaning in everything we do to create a sustainable and smart future for generations to come.

Each project is unique in terms of site, program, budget, surroundings, site typography, construction technology, availability of materials, and so on.

We need to respect these unique conditions and design a built environment most suitable for that particular project.

For each project, we are looking for a very strong concept which drives the project from concept design to completion.

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 31

| Interview with The Enterprise World

Each year we also have an overarching design theme in the studio to ensure that we push ourselves to innovate. These things range from “low-tech high-tech”, “Green façade”, “reflection in architecture”, “machining architecture” to name a few.

• What are the services the firm focuses on? How are your services different from those in the market?

We are currently involved in projects of various scales and sectors ranging from Hospitality, housing, master plans, offices, commercial building, shopping malls, villas, museums, interiors, and products.

Currently, we have 40 live architectural projects in the office in India and 5 in the German office.

In hospitality the key projects are Hilton Kathmandu, DoubleTree by Hilton Ahmedabad, Taj Ahmedabad, Port Blair resort and spa, Hyderabad hotel and service apartment.

In the cultural sector, we are working on 890 acres of Eco Park for NTPC which is already under construction and will be the second-biggest man-made Eco Park in the world and the biggest in the country. Other projects in this sector are Perfume park and Museum in Kannauj spread over 100 acres, Gwalior Central railway station and masterplan, Bangalore (BYPL) railway station.

In the last years, we have rapidly moved into Hyderabad and Mumbai with Housing, commercial, and hospitality projects. Also in residential projects we are already working on a Ludhiana housing project spread 32 | May 2021

over 10 acres which are under construction, alongside similar sized project in Jhansi.

Internationally we have ongoing projects in Germany, Arizona, Belgium, Indonesia, Burkina Faso, and Togo.

• How do you decide to take the firm a step further in terms of your services?

It's always been a very natural progression in terms of the services offered in our studio. In our 35 plus years of combined professional experience, we have learned that the typology or scale can change but the design methodology remains the same. Its different design parameters need to be addressed with different services with the common goal of the office to create sustainable designs.

• How do you combine beauty and function while designing?

“Performance-based Aesthetics” is at the core of every project in our design studio. We believe that each line should have a meaning, a purpose that it serves. The design approach looks at combining the various aspects of site, budget, program, execution techniques and overlapping them with sustainable design strategies.

• How do you think is the architecture market evolving?

Architecture as always is split between the mainstream and the boutique. We are at a juncture that these two cannot exist individually.

To create projects to deliver numbers is no longer sustainable with the adverse climate change taking around us. Also it is no longer viable to run a studio doing cutting-edge work but just limited to experimental realm. At studio

Symbiosis, we are looking at bridging the gap between the two and create housing, masterplans, train stations, eco-parks with an outlook of research-based practice.

• What are the key achievements of your entrepreneurial journey?

Since the inception of the firm, we have won over 50 international architectural awards, ranging from A' Design award, World Architecture Community, Iconic Design Award, German Design Award, Corp 2020, Build UK, Estrade International to name a few.

One of the key highlights was being featured in CNN-style Hong Kong edition, with a feature called “These rising architectural stars could change India’s skylines forever”. Also giving a talk at TEDx at Jacobs University Germany was a unique experience.

We were both facilitated with 40 under 40 Europe and the Asia Pacific respectively.

• How do you look after your employees? What makes your team unique?

We believe in having a team culture of inclusion, rather than exclusion.

We like to run a bottom-up studio, where everyone’s idea is relevant and evaluated.

• Is there any special experience with your clients you would like to highlight?

Architecture is teamwork between the architect and the owner. Most of the owners we are working with are more like very close friends.

• With rising technology how is the Architecture Designing sector has changed over some time?

On the design side, we are working

Know the founders Studio Symbiosis was founded by Amit Gupta and Britta Knobel. The founding partners of Studio Symbiosis architecture and design studio are postgraduates from the prestigious AA School of Architecture London, and then went on to work on several prestigious projects at the Pritzker winner architecture studio of Zaha Hadid at her London office. During this duration, of approximately five years, each of the founding partners was working on various scales and typologies. These two institutions of design imbibed a sense of a research based approach in Amit and Britta, where the design is started without a prenotion of the final form but rather a process, a journey that one takes during the design process.

on projects that incorporate artificial intelligence and agentbased modeling. To give you an example of a 120 m high sea-facing housing project in Versova, we setup an AI script that runs several iterations and finds the optimum orientation of the three tower blocks, to maximize the view of the sea from each apartment. Then in another project in Andalusia, AI was used to create villas on a 10acre site, whereby the topography of the site and views of the beach were computed to find the optimum views from the spaces.

• What drives your design decisions? What are some of your largest inspirations?

The design decisions are based on an analytical approach that gets translated into the designs. It’s a process of evaluating the various design possibilities, materials available, execution techniques, etc.

The biggest challenge in architecture is always to ensure that the built product is better than the design visualizations. Something might look great on paper, but when executed might not have the same quality.

When starting a project, we look at material availability, budget and which machining tools can be used in the particular project due to the location constraints.

Prototyping and mock-ups are also very important to see the finishing, material color, joint detail, fixing detail, etc for any project. These mock-ups give us a sense of the final product how it will look after execution.

Nature is the best inspiration one could ask for, everything is designed with a reason behind it.

Patterns and systems in nature exist with inherent meaning. Every element is stripped out of anything unnecessary, creating highly efficient and robust formations. For us it is very interesting to study these elements / phenomena's of nature, analyze the system behind them, and translate it as a design system. Mostly biomimicry imitates nature's models or takes them as inspiration, but for us by breaking down these systems in nature using mathematics and creating codes, gives us the essence of the system.

most?

We believe in a research-based design approach, where systems, materials, execution techniques are tested and perfected in the studio before they are rolled out for projects. Hence in architecture our role models are individuals who dedicated their professional careers towards creating a basis for design as research.

Architects such as Frei Otto, Felix Candela, Antonio Gaudi, Oscar Niemeyer, Zaha Hadid are the notable architects that we hold in high prestige. Frei Otto’s studies in Pneumatics, Radiolarian, minimal surfaces and transforming them into lightweight structures and the notable Munich Olympic Stadium.

Gaudi’s famous inverse chain model that resulted in the design of Sagrada Familia was purely driven by gravity being used to create a structural model and thereby the design. Zaha redefined architecture with her forward-thinking design sketches and later with the use of computational tools. These architects were thinking way ahead of their time and created architectural masterpieces.

• One person who you admire the www.theenterpriseworld.com | 33

Suchi Vora Architecture Collaborative

Crafting the future of architecture with the most unique designs and international collaborations.

34 | May 2021

T

here are many aspects of the building that must work together to produce a buildable, aesthetically pleasing, useful, code-compliant building that the owner will be able to use to his advantage for many years. To turn your dream place into reality architects are necessary as designing buildings is a massively complex task that requires the coordination of myriad interests, requirements, and limitations.

It’s not only about how beautiful the building is! With an architect’s eye you can get your answers for: Are the buildings warm and

welcoming? Is it well and naturally lit? Do the windows encourage viewing the outside world? Does the building fit in with the environment surrounding it... and so on!

To cater to the needs of dreamers, a young leading architect Suchi Vora is on a mission to always create something unique that lasts long with optimally utilizing space, using the right material, controlling cost, and with an eye for out-ofthe-box designs.

This is the story of a visionary and resilient woman entrepreneur,

Suchi Vora, who not only dared to venture into the world of Architecture but also created a niche that offers out of box ideas.

With a childhood dream, charting paths with dedication and passion, Suchi Vora represents the young generation of architects in Indian as well as the global market.

Having worked in Europe for about 5 years, first with MVRDV in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Ricardo Bofill (RBTA) in Barcelona, Spain, Suchi returned home and built an architectural design studio that brings together a design aesthetic sharpened in www.theenterpriseworld.com | 35

| Business Story

Europe while being rooted in India.

Through her company Suchi Vora Architecture Collaborative (SVAC), she has turned dream places of many into reality and still counting.

SVAC & Its Journey Suchi Vora Architecture Collaborative is a young architecture studio set in the middle of the city in Pune. The studio space exuberates their unmatched design ideology and the kind of work they aspire to do. They take on bespoke architectural and interior design projects, residential, institutional, and commercial alike.

Residential architecture is SVAC’s strong points topped with international collaborations. Team SVAC has a great spectrum of unique projects they are working on.

It’s not necessarily the most traditional architectural firm, trying to make sense of the context of what design means in today’s world and strive to be continuously evolving.

The most formative and toughest time for a start-up, business, etc. is the initial days, as one has to take on a lot of things, right from setting up the start-up company right down to handling almost everything.

“

MINIMALISM HAS ALWAYS INFLUENCED THE SPACE AROUND ME IN MY LIFE.

- Suchi Va

PROPRIETOR | SVAC 36 | May 2021

Every successful company has its ups and downs and the road for SVAC was also one with its fair share of hurdles and achievements, but one thing that remained consistent was their unwavering spirit and their aim to provide the best to their clients and make the best contribution they can to the world.

Suchi Vora invented SVAC all alone. With an experience of about

5 years, none of it in India, she strived hard and succeeded to provide the ideas as per Indian demands. She had just come back from Barcelona. It was strange for her to be back as she had to re-educate herself from the ground up. Everything needed research and hours of studying and she could only get small jobs. Despite the challenging situations and problems whatever came her way, she didn’t hesitate to take assignments. She stayed on site from morning to night, went to the market to pick out and eat small nails, did drawings on site as she needed to be on-site, and finished drawings. She even carried material on-site, swept the site even once.

That's how the beginning was with the All hands-on board. With all size and type sites and unmourned sleepless nights, SVAC has experienced steady growth with each project.

Consistency. Just keeping at it.

There’s no wavering. There’s no looking back.

With international collaborations as a forte, SVAC always tries to collaborate with different companies and people around the world to realize the project and give it its uniqueness, whether its product designers or industrial manufacturing units or even other architects around the world.

The team and culture SVAC is a young and intimate team of dynamic professionals driven by the same passion, to create something unique, always.

Everyone’s ideas on the team are to be heard, that’s how they grow, as a company and as a designer.

Suchi says, “Beauty and function go hand in hand while designing.

It’s not a superimposition of beatification on something that can work functionally. The idea is to work through it together.

inhabit the space they design to reflect their desires, ambitions, their way of life, what they aspire to be in that space.

Architecture has become more dynamic and parametric architecture is on the rise. Even interactive architecture.

Suchi is always inspired by nature, people, and situations. She has immense admiration towards many individuals, but it is her husband who tops the list. He not only pushes her to do better every day, even to the point of annoyance but is always inspiring her to expand her business and creativity horizons. “It’s something I’m lucky to have in my life, this relationship,” Suchi commented.

Suchi’s take on the need for constant vigilance and rat race in the market We have to be constantly at it. That is the only way forward.

Opportunities will hence arrive, of course then making the most of that opportunity and hustle in the right way will have its meaning then.

But keep at it and they will come.

There is a rat race in every market but I try not to focus on it so much.

Incidentally, the time I spent abroad working and networking helped me create a niche for myself. It’s important to be on the lookout for what you want to do, rather than what’s popular in the market. Strive through, make sure you’re going out of the way to get your point across.

Suchi’s powerhouses of motivation and creativity Suchi’s largest inspirations are her clients. Finally, it is them that

BIG’s story motivates her a lot.

Bjarke Ingels inspires her in a lot of ways, the way he started his career, the way he grew the business beyond a one-man show not only inspired her to push towards excellence and achieve her dreams but also have an unwavering spirit and discipline towards what she wants to be the most.. That’s the future of design. It’s an allencompassing company that can influence various interdisciplinary design fields putting architecture at the centre of it all.

‘Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can’

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 37

| Expert’s Opinion

The world is our backyard!

38 | May 2021

ver since I was in school, I loved watching buildings being built.

When we were looking for a house to live in at Aurangabad, looking at the builders' brochures, I could stroll through the half-built site of those 15 - 20 buildings to the exact flat, with my eyes closed on the first attempt. Since there was nothing else special to talk about, but then, to the questions of teacher and relatives about future, like, ‘What do you want to be?’, I began to answer ‘I will be a builder’.

Later, one of my uncles introduced me to the speeches of IAS, IPS officers. Soon the sentences like, “When your mom needs to call you, again and again, to have food, while you are busy in your work, that’s the work you are made for” engraved on my heart. Till that time, I had started drawing some imaginary buildings as a ‘hobby’ in the seventh or eighth grade. Not only was the standard coding system used for windows and doors were unknown to me, but it was not even possible to know that there were architectural dictionaries such as Neufert’s Data. Then I designed my signage languages for different notifications and went on from drawing a bungalow in the seventh standard to designing a sixtystoried building in the tenth. My solutions were simple for the little things. How wide should the stairs be? How much space does a car take up? When such question arose, then, taking a chit and a pencil in the pocket, I would enter any building in the colony as if my

E

father was the landlord. At that time my sandals were about 30 centimeters in size. So, I used to measure the distances of five or six places by stepping consecutively, one step at a time, come home and calculate the average and, then I would have an ideal figure. In the process of measuring these steps for different things, I have covered all the platforms of Aurangabad railway station, both the bus stands, the passages of 3 to 4 big colleges, and so on. So, my design portfolio had bus stands, commercial complexes, sports plazas, and anything until I was in the eleventh or twelfth standard of Highschool.

As everything was just a matter of imagination, I would have designed the President’s House, and nobody would have a problem with that.

Just for that counting my step's part, no one would have let me walk there, that was all!

But still, I thought this whole thing was civil engineering. So, then I went after JEE. Of course, that was not the case. But I didn't have any complaints as I was going to learn this sometime later. At that time, about two months before the 12th standard examination, one of our family friends showed at home, saw all my works and he told me about architecture. Even in such a crucial time, I prepared for the architecture entrance exams in two months, passed the entrance of architecture, got that degree, and then, in the same way, searching, struggling, suddenly finding something, I took admission in KRVIA in Mumbai for ‘Urban Design’ and now I have almost passed it too. In short, despite the earlier fascination, now, for almost seven years in a row, I have been directly involved with architecture

as a student. According to some theory, in twelve years’ practice, you master something. It will take another five-year plan for me to do so with architecture, but I still want to write it now; What exactly is architecture to me?

If the purpose of education is to motivate thinking, then how much of it is involved in architectural education? And what are the motives of it? Because I am a part of a generation that is eager about declaring itself introverted and then turning to overthink. So, we are not just creating or developing thoughts, we are already exposed to them. In such a case, when we say that education should be developing thinking, we will see only two things, ‘debate’ and ‘taste’. This sequence may need to be changed for architecture. ‘Taste’ first and then ‘debates’. Renowned Marathi philosopher and writer, Narhar Kurundkar, once said, “ If the answers to many questions like, how was the curry? - How did the exams go? - How did you get a wife? - never go beyond ‘good or nice’, then what kind of ‘taste’ has education developed?” Even if we replace the word ‘good or nice’ with some millennial urban slang, our progress is still at that same point. ‘How did the building feel?

How was the submission sheet made? Why did the floor break?’

No matter what you ask, that same millennial slang is your answer.

And it is often explained in just a word or two. Because many times, it’s not the case that the person does not like that discipline or faculty of education, but one is unable to express feelings about it.

This expression should be the main purpose of teaching architecture, is what I’ve felt from the receiving

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 39

| Expert’s Opinion

end - as a student. In short, the practice of creating a ‘realization’ of exactly what attributes the brain thinks about, can be called the teaching of architecture. To make a habit of looking at a building, its timeline, its style, size, details, its technique and materials, texture, color, quality all at once - is to enjoy the building. What appears in front of you is stunned. Is tangible.

Is stationary. Understanding it as fluid, abstract, and changing becomes the first step in the journey of enjoyment. Because if you don't, your emotions will not be able to travel to the interpretations. But; Damn, these dimensions are contradictory. I think this happens because architecture is both a science and an art. It is from this contradiction that the scope of the argument of all architectural philosophies opens up after the parameter of ‘taste’.

Because there will be no ‘debate’ without ‘taste’. In many other disciplines, one is expected to ‘enjoy’ the ‘argument and debates’.

Whether it is the historical style of all ‘isms’ like Cubism, Constructivism, Minimalism, the philosophical arguments in it cannot be understood without first enjoying the architecture. Hence the order – first ‘taste’, then ‘debates’. In some other disciplines like, say - physics, the student has to understand the laws and theories first. Learn the rules, their constant evolutions, and then start enjoying the traditions of theories and scientist’s debates. So, here it’s first ‘debates’ then ‘taste’ in the faculty.

But to my awareness, this cannot be applied in the field of Architecture.

It is a matter of discipline to manage the sequence of these fault

40 | May 2021

lines, as the freedom of the artist and the discipline of the technicians have to be maintained at the same time. The artist is the artist as long as - the poem is being written, the picture is being drawn, the performance is going on - on the stage. By giving birth to art in the transcendental state, the artist is free to live the life of the common man in the eminence and start the journey of going back to art by gathering experience. They need this neutral time for more creations.

Thus, architecture also becomes the practice of stepping out of the artist's disguise and immediately entering the role of a technician, and the ability to gain neutral space between these continuous transitions becomes the training of architecture.

Or is it a conflict between ‘struggle’ and ‘conservation? Society forgets the one who works for ‘conservation’ but that work can be completed. But on the other hand, the struggle often does not reach it's to its destination, still, its peers become faces of the society. What should I do where ‘art’ supports the struggle and ‘technique’ helps in conservation? While I was the one, who was a part of arguments that whether architecture is an art and a science, it is not good to allow such a mismatch of ideologies in times of need. I cannot get stuck in the world of - only me, and my drawings on the paper, and that I will not look beyond them to any other social aspect. We, as a society cannot afford that. Now, today when the country is entangled in development ideas, where we have come a long way with ‘Idea of India’ and now we are fighting over ‘Idea of Development’ of India, of course, we – architects - can build

similar bench strength for the nation. Because that’s what we’re trained to do. But is an architecture that much socially oriented, to get authorized from people for these herculean tasks in this democratic nation?

Architecture stood out at the same time as the milestones of human history were evolving. Sometimes showing the projections of powers, sometimes showing the resilience of the society. Being a way to set narratives for dictators or being a mirror of society’s expectations, architecture kept blurring at these ends like a pendulum. But at least today, in the twenty-first century, it is time to explore whether it can have any different meaning in the life of the common man. This exploration should become the way we practice architecture. Because there is another way to look at it.

Buildings are built on the exploitation of those who have lost everything, their hard work, sweat, efforts, long working hours, and mechanical life. In the old days, they were paying the price of pushing freedom into slavery for those who lost wars, but the context is the same even today. So, it is quite possible to state that architecture can never make ordinary people’s lives comfortable because its foundation is at the root of class division - a structure that can be called Marxist in the traditional sense. The first shock comes to my mind when I can show that this art is such a devilish art with these kinds of arguments.

By pulling it forward, we can efficiently prove today’s ’less socially oriented model of architecture’ more precisely than the first way. Because it can be made as true and convincing as the

Shaunak Kulkarni Architect and Blogger first stream, so I think that the sequence of - first ‘taste’ then ‘debate’ in the education of architecture - is our only way to bypass this second structure that may seem pessimistic. Therefore, it is necessary to talk about piers of architecture and on what foundation it is to be laid for the future. Because today, as we face one of the most pressing crises of all time, the direction of the minds of architects can become a latent current in this turbulent environment and work to take society out of it, even if it is nowhere to be seen. This is the power of the faculty of architecture.

It is up to the leaders to decide whether to recognize it or not. But what exactly is this latent power in architecture?

The whole game of architects’ minds can be summed up in one sentence. Assuming that there is life in the inanimate space, and

then going on to design the material aspects to satisfy the mind of this new - conscious space. In doing so, the game is to meet the dichotomy in the space with the expectations of the user. This is the unique state of spiritual materialism of architects... But the real fun is that both the image in the minds of anonymous users and the expectations of the space to be built are up to me ... not only that, it’s up to me to decide what should be right for both of them.

Even though the idea of writing someone’s destiny is fascinating, but then you should be prepared to take responsibility, even when the decision is not yours. As an architect, one is influencing the states of minds of the people around a place, today, at this very time. The place - which is yet to be built -by living in it in the future.

And for that, all three fictional characters- space, users, and

architect - used to make scripted decisions are present solely in my head, standing face to face at the same time. But when deciding the opinions of those three roles, I have to use only my five senses alone, which are not three in a way, they cannot be ... How do I deal with this limit? This limit of mine should not be the reason for the dissatisfaction of anyone living in that space sometime after ten or fifteen years. Because according to the same mythology, even the given faults, if spoken in the house are blessed and approved by the gods and spiritual guardian of the house... They are bound to come to me…!!!

Yes, we have the backyards of the world to us for developing them and create a better future. But let us be blessed by the almighty to be able enough to justify it…!!!

www.theenterpriseworld.com | 41

| Business Essentials

HOW TO START AN ONLINE BUSINESS AT HOME WITHOUT INVESTMENT

N

ot only these topsy-turvy times, the pandemic and lockdown have pushed us to the corner of creative ways to ensure money, but up-cycling the already available space, measures and entrepreneurial skills were never out of trend.

An entrepreneur has always oscillated between investment and profits. But what if it was only about profits? These days, modernity and innovation have even cut down the process of investment and people have begun pursuing their entrepreneurial career from the ease of their homes, that too without the alibi and hassle of an investment.

Unlock your potential with these money-making ideas.

YouTube – Owing to the technological advancements and the need to utilize your time efficiently, to learn a new skill, to listen to music, or even watch a movie – YouTube has become one of the leading platforms to provide it with all. It not only provides all 42 | May 2021

these services but has become one of the most swiftly growing business as it provides a chance to open your channel and make use of this wholesome platform in your stride by providing your expertise on any topic, amusing others by making vines, vlogs, lifestyle videos, acoustic covers, and whatnot. The views, likes, and subscriptions will not only fetch recognition, but also money.

Freelancing - It is one of the most suitable and efficient techniques to encash your free time, knowledge, and skills. You can freelance as a writer, designer, HR manager,

Developer, Marketing official, Accountant, Translator, Videographer, etc. This job is not only flexible but lands you great opportunities to up your CV too.

Plenty of websites like Freelancer, Fiverr, Upwork, Service space, GURU, among many others provide various job opportunities daily.

Blogging – We all passionately feel something for at least one or two issues, topics, etc., and have opinions. Blogging is all about parting your perspective and reaching out to the audience

through your writing via blog. It can practically work on any topic – Food, Lifestyle, Life, SocioPolitical issues, your favourite subject, etc. There are many platforms like WordPress, Wattpad along with many others which provide a space for your voice.

After having a suitable number of followers or subscribers, you can even provide space for advertisements that can fetch you some extra money. Thrift store or Collectible seller – Thrifting is the new trend all over Instagram, where people re-sell their clothes, books, shoes, accessories, etc. It is

the best way to de-clutter your wardrobe by making room for more stuff and earning money at the same time. You re-sell at your own accord and recover a few bucks spent on your items. A collector can sell their collections at eBay or OLX at a very good price. Sell your services online – Want to provide services like tutoring, skills like dance, singing, painting or calligraphy, baby-sit, launch an online or membership course? We got you covered. You can giveaway any service after some market research or simply based on the needs of the hour by starting an

online service selling enterprise.

All you need is a website and a stable internet connection.

To make money is easy but not simple.

Just start googling any of the aforementioned ideas today and unravel a different space for yourself to not only grow as an individual but to get extra few bucks – to save spend.

It might come off puzzling initially but you just need to be productive and proactive to make sense of these of sorts time and efficiently use your skill-set and time. www.theenterpriseworld.com | 43

MOMENTUM True Wireless

A new dimension in wearable sound Uncompromised sound performance, state-of-the-art technology and refined design all come together in Sennheiser’s True Wireless premium earbuds.

en-in.sennheiser.com