Today, all materials have been transformed into their lookalikes. Industrialization, ease of transportation and availability have changed the way we initiate design concepts and at the turn of the century buildings were designed with no relationship to their surroundings. At my firm, our building styles changed to Neo Classical or the Greco Roman. In fact, we designed a combination of styles and gave award-winning projects like the Indus International School in Bangalore, BGS Intl Kumbalgoud etc, each with a regional flavor and identity but with elements of newer materials for the capitols, columns, pedestals and the domes.
Greenwood International SchoolThe digital era threw out paper and pencil from the studio and conceptualization of design was done on computers. For me, scale became difficult to imagine as the same size of screen was for a small house and /or for a huge campus. Colours came as code numbers and forms were done using computers and the supporting software. Solid geometry and interpenetration of solids became easy with such tools and transformed the thinking ability. My design versatility widened. Our design of buildings like the JSS Science Museum and the Spectra Conventions Centre were styled using such tools and they never compromised on the utility but helped large spans. Such versa styled projects like the Spectra Convention hall got the best façade award.
Indus International SchoolRestricted timelines have influenced my design style too. Our projects completed in a record 8 to 9 months encouraged us to think of design which would be quick to erect without compromising on stability or functionality and led us to research newer materials and technology. Metal and fabric, combinations with Glass, HDP panels etc brought in a new thought process and led to yet another unique style. Our “Y Boutique Hotel” is a modern building with its design concept borrowed from the Haawa Mahal of Jaipur. As it is said, change is the only constant thing in life, and so is my style.
