What were some of your earliest inspirations or influences that sparked your interest in architecture, and how have they shaped your approach to design throughout your career?
I had the opportunity to be exposed to a lot of structures, beautiful buildings, and art photography through my family and our experiences, including the travelling I had the chance to do in the past. I think that sparked an interest, making me think, “If it could be built, why couldn’t I do that?” That’s where I developed the desire to become an architect and wanting to be a problem solver. Influences have shaped me; it’s been a work in progress. But it’s not like I had a hero I wanted to emulate or a particular structure I wanted to replicate. It’s just been about keeping up with changing times, changing attitudes, environmental issues, and challenges; and I was quite excited about solving them.
How do you approach the integration of sustainable design principles into your architectural projects, and what factors do you consider when selecting materials and construction methods?
The word ‘sustainability’ has been overrated. We started a company almost 15–17 years ago, called EdEn Educated Environments, which focused on spreading awareness and the experience of sustainability. Over the past several years, we’ve had a rough ride. But now, sustainability seems to be the buzzword. Everyone is talking about climate change, recycling, and sustainability. We’ve been incorporating it into our structures and designs all along. Our local, traditional architecture already speaks of sustainability, so it’s a very natural concept for us.
Instead of the typical ‘3 Rs’ — reduce, recycle, reuse — we’ve added a fourth: ‘refuse.’ And at the end of the process, we’ve added a fifth: ‘regenerate.’ So, we use a ‘5 R’ principle for sustainability. This really helps because when you consider why you need something, what you need it for, or what you need from it, it makes you question things differently instead of just starting the whole process and then trying to reduce or recycle. That’s the basic approach we take in terms of sustainability.
I think the appropriateness of the job or the solution determines my choice of materials. For instance, if I were building a three-bedroom or five-bedroom bungalow, I likely wouldn’t consider using steel or hybrid materials. I would probably opt for a simple, straightforward load-bearing structure. But if I were talking about a convention centre with large spans I wouldn’t even consider concrete; I would likely use steel.
We’re also experimenting with a lot of new technologies, techniques, and materials, which are creating exciting opportunities. We’re looking at composites, glass fibre, and carbon fibre as reinforcement, and using old debris from construction sites to repurpose into new materials. Of course, we also use the usual fly ash and slag, which are exciting in terms of their chemical compositions and the opportunities they offer, as people around the world are exploring.
Of all the projects you’ve worked on throughout your career, which one stands out to you as your favourite, and what makes it particularly special or memorable for you?
That’s like asking, “Which child do you like better?” I don’t think I can choose. Each of our projects has presented its own challenges from the very start, and we’ve loved every single one deeply. We’ve been very involved with all of our projects, so it’s difficult to pick a favourite. A small visiting card may be one of the best things I’ve designed, and a huge railway station or an airport may be one of the most exciting.
Throughout your career, how have you observed the utilisation of steel evolving?
When we started practising, steel use was few and far between. There wasn’t much steel being used when we first began developing infrastructure work, public projects, infra projects, bridges, and railway stations. Slowly but surely, we started getting exposed to what was available in steel, not just in India, but around the world — in terms of what was being manufactured, what was available, and how expensive it would be to bring it in and use it, etc.
It’s an evolution that we’ve been part of, and we’ve definitely influenced what people manufacture and what steel manufacturers produce in terms of the quality of steel, sections, appropriate uses, and exploring markets for them.
From your experience, what are some misconceptions or common challenges architects face when working with steel, and how do you address them?
I think it’s just exposure. If architects knew more about steel as a building material, they would embrace it much more easily and effectively. Today, there’s no excuse for misinformation because you can Google anything and get answers. You should go deeper in your own research and study, and you’ll realise that there aren’t many misconceptions. You’ll also find that things you grew up believing are changing. Challenges you once thought existed have now been resolved by others who are using steel. So, I think it’s an important evolution.
In your opinion, what role should government regulations and policies play in promoting sustainable construction practices, and what changes would you like to see in this regard?
I think the government is doing some fabulous work. They are doing incredible promotion for infrastructure, as well as static and moving steel consumption. Steel is becoming very popular in households and in the products we use, which is great because if it can replace plastics and other materials, it would be fantastic. There’s a lot of work being done on reducing steel wastage, recycling steel, processing steel, and creating new grades of steel.
Specifically, they could look at taxation or subsidy policies that would make steel more accessible and affordable. It would also be exciting if the government promoted technology transfers for production, which many steel manufacturers are already doing. But I think it’s important to recognise that everyone is playing their part in shaping the future.
What role do you believe architects should play in addressing societal challenges such as urbanisation and affordable housing? How do you see the role of steel in this?
I think today, most architects are in survival mode. They are concerned about themselves, their environments, their finances, their families, their careers, and their futures. So, not many are taking a 30,000-foot viewpoint. There are some architects who are taking up challenges, addressing issues like sustainability, over-urbanisation, pollution, and new techniques, so it’s very difficult to generalise how architects are performing.
It also requires maturity and, of course, some means of sustaining themselves to be able to think about the bigger picture. You can’t focus on solving the world’s problems when you’re struggling to put food on the table. It’s important for architects to start looking at themselves as problem solvers for the world’s issues. Steel becomes an exciting material to work with, especially in terms of new buildings. The exciting thing about steel is that it’s completely recyclable, so there’s no real waste.
I’m not delving into the technologies and embodied energy involved in the construction, preparation, fabrication, or manufacturing of steel, but these are all equations that need to be looked at pragmatically. Steel is not the ultimate solution; it’s not a utopian, end-all material. However, it’s evolving and becoming more exciting because of the choices we have in the alloys that can be produced and the various applications for them. I think it’s quite an exciting market to be in.
How do you see the future of steel construction evolving in the architectural industry, considering advancements in technology and sustainable building practices?
I think in urban environments, steel is going to be a favourite because plots are small, constructions are large, and manufacturing is difficult. Prefabrication is exciting, and steel can accommodate all of that. It’s just a matter of bringing it in, bolting it on site, welding it, and creating the structures. It also provides very exciting frameworks and structural foundations, the bone structures of buildings, on which you can do a lot of creative work. So, I think it’s definitely suited for urban environments and is a forerunner in terms of material choice.
Material science is also changing the way steel is being manufactured and processed, including corrosion resistance and similar advancements. In rural areas, I’m not sure I would push steel, though it is used for different purposes, not structurally but for roofing sheets and piping infrastructure, for example. But I believe steel has great potential.
What are your views on the future of modular construction and prefabrication techniques, and how do you see these methods influencing the way buildings are designed and constructed?
As far as modular construction is concerned, I’m not sure steel is my favourite. Not because of any particular reason, but because it would become the bone structure, and you’d need many other materials to augment it. So, I’m unsure how to approach that. In terms of modular construction for housing, or when you talk about industrial modular, prefabricated, or pre-manufactured buildings, I think it’s phenomenal. We’ve been doing a lot of pre-manufactured, off-site work—getting it manufactured in workshops, bringing it to the site, constructing it in three months, and it’s ready to roll.
