- Can you give us a brief insight into your design journey?
After graduating from Architecture school, I worked for a year with Sarda Plywood Industries on their housing project, after which I freelanced as an event decorator for a bit, working with British Airways and KLM Cargo. Freelancing gave me a good balance between work and my personal life – making time for my young children. Once they were older and were going to school regularly, I joined Vijay Gupta Architects, the firm my father had established. I started by having to learn AutoCAD as a fresher architect, which was quite a humbling experience. It felt like the architecture degree I’d worked so hard for was in vain!
- How did you get your first projects?
The first projects I worked were not core architectural projects because I was just a freelancer. But when I joined my father’s firm, the first buildings I worked on were residences and playschools, and I really enjoyed the immersive experiential aspect of design these projects exposed me to.
- From design school to a full-fledged professional, what were your high points and low points in this field?
I think that some of the lowest points for me have been when I have doubted myself, especially in a field as demanding as architecture. You can only slowly build your confidence as you work more, navigating the many challenges that come your way, you begin to train yourself to be more analytical
That said, I think some of the highest points for me so far have been seeing my projects come to life.
- Any one turning point in your career that you wish to highlight?
A major turning point for me was actually the first project that I handled independently, which was a global school. It gave me the opportunity to work in close tandem with the client, undertaking all the aspects of the project, from the architecture to the interiors, the landscape etc. It was an important learning curve for me in coordinating between the various aspects of design, and it is this collaborative aspect of architecture that still drives me.
- What is the one mistake in your career that you’d like to go back and change if you could?
I have made plenty of mistakes in my career, but have tried to learn from each one. One of the pieces of advice my father gave me that I keep turning to is not to be unnerved by the scale of a project, but to break it down into smaller bits and tackle it. I’ve tried to incorporate his values of Ability, Amiability and Availability into my work as best as I can.
However, the one regret I have is that I never pursued my masters. I would have loved to study Landscape Design. But, I’ve never seen that as an impediment. I’ve taken to reading books, articles, blogs and anything I can get my hands on about landscaping, and thoroughly enjoy doing a deep dive into the landscape design of the projects I undertake.
- The industry is still largely male-dominated – why do you think that is?
I think there are more girls studying architecture than ever before so hopefully the tide is turning. But we definitely need more women architects who have independent practices. I think it’s a fulfilling profession, technical and creative at the same time, but it does require patience in the beginning, much like any other profession.
- With changing times, what would be your advice to upcoming architects on how to navigate the architecture world?
I always advise the young architects who join our firm to enhance their abilities by learning to observe, not just see. I tell them to update themselves on new materials in the market, on their software skills, visit exhibitions, read and travel as much as they can because I’ve found I always learn a lot each time I travel.