Archi talks with Saad Shah

• What did you want to become when you are a child?
Forensic scientist. Something on the lines of CSI-NY!

• What motivated you to become an architect?
After completing my high school, I faced the dilemma of choosing my career path. Since career counseling is absent from our education system, I opted to intern for a year before applying to a university to peruse architecture. My choosing of a gap year worked in my favor as the skill sets acquired during my internship made my further education journey a breeze.

• What kind of projects were you doing when you first started as an architect?
I Self-inflicted the decision to work on the long and painful journey of designing residences for the ultra-rich of our society who were never in a hurry to move to their new dwellings.

• Would you say architecture is a field for everyone?
No! Plague of incompetency has infected our profession as we see monstrosities all over our country. Our professional licensing body needs to take stern step towards universities that are producing so called “architects’ with zero skillset who are not even fit to be hired CAD operators.

• What was your favorite project and what did you do to make a success?
I would not single out any project since we believe that every next project has to be better than the previous.

• How many projects can you expect to be working at once?
We are a medium size firm and work on appx. 30-35 projects at any given time.

• What style architecture do you love most?
I have an inclination towards “modern industrial” design philosophy.

• Are you enjoying your profession? If yes then why?
I would not be practicing if I did not enjoy the daily challenges that this field upholds. Building dreams to reality is a self-rewarding experience.

• What’s the best thing about your life right now?
Experiencing the adrenaline of professional growth over the years can certainly be it.
• What is the one thing that you are proud of?
By being associated to projects that give back to the society. In our daily routine we all our focused on our own agendas. Creating a quality of space that uplifts the society and nurtures the soul stands as most pivotal moments to cherish.

• What is your message for young Architect?
Architecture is the only art disciplinary field that lives through the tests of time. It lives beyond our lifetime. Be in it if you can add to the quality of it and not the quantity.