What attracts you to using steel as a primary building material in your architectural projects?
Steel is one of the most versatile materials I have used in many of my projects. We have developed a mission that revolves around its use in our educational buildings. We have scaled up our capacity to develop educational buildings using steel, finding it to be a very flexible and fast material to work with, yielding the desired outcomes in the least possible time.
Can you share any specific examples of how you have used steel in your designs or projects?
The REC Tech Park is one of our first buildings. Since then, we have produced almost eight similar buildings in Chennai and Bengaluru. I particularly enjoy working with steel as a material because it is modular, allowing us to work within a grid and format that enables rapid scalability.
Are there any architects or architectural projects that have inspired your interest in steel design? Please share your thoughts.
Renzo Piano’s work resonates with me a lot. I admire the way he uses steel in a very effeminate manner, a quality I find limited among architects. I aspire to do work similar to his.
In what ways does designing with steel impact construction timelines and costs compared to other materials?
With respect to timelines, there is a significant reduction in the construction phase of the project. A project that would have normally taken 18 months was completed in three months for us, particularly for educational buildings, which perfectly suits the requirement because the building needs to be executed during the holidays. Regarding cost, currently, building with steel is more expensive. However, with the improving ecosystem of steel construction, I believe it is a way forward and will eventually be more at par with concrete buildings.
How do you stay updated on the latest developments and trends in steel-based architecture and design?
I mostly follow SSMB, so thank you for that. Secondly, social media has been really helpful, as we have been getting a lot of updates across the industry from most of our peers. I also regularly follow design magazines and other online platforms.
What challenges have you encountered when working with steel in your architectural projects, and how did you address them?
The fundamental problem we have faced is the mentality of the clients who are not used to working with steel. Convincing them to work with steel, or at least try it out for the first time, is very important and often takes the longest time. Once they become accustomed to working with steel buildings, the process is very efficient and fast.
What is your opinion on the future of steel in architecture, considering emerging technologies and sustainability trends?
I believe that steel is going to be one of the most important contributors to the construction industry, both currently and even more so in the future. And in terms of sustainability, I would say that steel itself has a high embodied energy. However, the total amount of steel used to construct a building is what matters. Compared to concrete buildings, you can achieve a much lower embodied energy in a building by using steel. I believe this is a key takeaway, and there needs to be more awareness created around this so that people become more enthusiastic about using steel.
Are there any specific projects or areas within the steel construction industry that you hope to explore in the future?
Yes, I would love to explore light gauge steel construction in our housing projects. Currently, we have three main verticals in our office, with one of the largest being housing. We are working on around 2.5 million sq ft of projects, all based on conventional construction methods. We would like to explore and experiment with light gauge steel construction for some of our projects to see if it is feasible and scalable for the future.
