Listening to my inner voice early on set me on the path of finding my true calling without any ambiguity. Since then, there has been no distinction between my personal and professional life — they simply merge seamlessly. I have always loved designing, creating things. It gives me a great sense of satisfaction.

Being a bright and focused student and a state-level skating champion, my early inclination was to take up medicine. I had appeared for entrance exam, but realised that there was no natural inclination. I started exploring various other avenues, and was naturally drawn to architecture. The monuments and palaces I saw during holiday trips would mesmerize me. I was in awe of the impact and the scale that they had on the human mind. With my intuitive sense of aesthetics and proportions, I knew I could be an architect.

I was inspired by names like Zaha Hadid, Kelly Hoppen and Kelly Wearstler and was waiting to surround myself with beauty and elegance, something that exuded positive energy and creativity. My days at the architecture college allowed me to play with my imagination in many creative ways. I also took part in fashion shows by crafting costumes, using whatever materials were available, like plastic, tracing paper, etc. Designing clothes is still on my mind, though I don’t get much time now.

I pursued my internship with an established architecture firm in Delhi, and after the course, continued to work with them for a year, which gave me good hands-on experience. I was passionate about my work so did everything from visiting the sites to coordinating with vendors/contractors, and interacting with clients.

Later, when I started my own practice, my learning continued as my early clients were people with finer sensibilities, who had exposure to good design and details. The kind of briefs and inputs I got from them compelled me to be impeccable with my work. I started off by designing a farmhouse with a vibrant tropical and Balinese theme, researching and brushing up my knowledge about this beautiful style. It was a very enriching experience. It also refined my work and shaped my career.

I have been inspired by some contemporary designers, whose work I greatly admire. Bali-based architect Alexis Dornier is one of them. He is a very material-oriented architect, who is also experimental. He uses wood to create astonishing fluid structures and curved forms, and is well-known for amalgamating the interiors and exteriors in an amazing manner. I strive to bring in a similar interaction between the interiors and exteriors creating a natural habitat.

Among the legends, Zaha Hadid has made a tremendous impact on me, even though I do not relate to her fluid structures. It is her life journey that I’m most impressed with — her ferocious conviction in her dreams, and her unflinching attitude when faced with challenges.

I believe, as a woman designer, I have certain advantages. It comes from being in touch with my feminine sensibility. Women are creators, and possess an intrinsic understanding of aesthetics, form and function. The emotional aspect of my personality and the innate ability to connect with people, be it the clients, contractors, or my juniors, is unique to me as a woman. Especially when I’m working on a residential project, I am totally in sync with the client’s requirements and understandings of their functional needs thoroughly. Our high emotional quotient enables us to be experts at people management — we motivate our juniors at a different level and achieve better targets. Today, I am glad the number of women entering the field is only increasing. When I was studying, 60 percent of the students were females.

I’m glad to be working on different kinds of projects each time. In fact, every project becomes unique encompassing its own vision, sensibility, needs and budgets. From European classism to contemporary minimal projects, we do an array of genres.

Of course, there are challenges, especially when there is a disconnect between the contractor and us, the architects. In such cases, the details are not achieved to the letter T. That is the reason we have moved on to becoming a design-and-build firm, so that we can be in perfect control of the entire execution from design concepts to building a structure. With this conviction and creative vigor, we undertake comprehensive design-to-build services, offering discerning clients a thorough and cohesive design experience.

Our work blends European classicism with modernist tropical architecture, resulting in timeless structures with elegant, inventive interiors that showcase rigorous attention to detail. 

Our projects comprise expansive luxury estates, stylishly intimate boutiques, immersive spas, chic restaurants, pubs and more. Without going mindlessly after trends, we strive to bring in the serenity of spiritualism, as well as the calming influence of sustainability in our work. My main goal is to design to accentuate the natural qualities of a space; amplifying its particular beauty through seamless functionality and unique form.