In a chat with Bindu Gopal Rao, architect Harshavardhana H N talks about finding the right balance between design skills and practical parameters and more
Dark is not opposite of light. It is just the absence of light.
Likewise, a problem is the absence of an idea, not absence of a solution.” This is how Bengaluru-based architecture and design firm Harshavardhana Architects Engineers & Interior Designers describe themselves on their website. Started in 1991 by principal architect, Harshavardhana H N, the firm recently completed their silver jubilee.
A completely home-grown venture, all of their projects have been intentionally concentrated across Karnataka. Harshavardhana tells us more in this exclusive conversation with Deccan Herald.
Excerpts:
How do you look back at your journey till date?
It has been a very arduous and formidable task to put my eventful professional journey of 26 years in few sentences. Primarily, I hail from a non-engineering, non-technical and non-business family background and on completion of my engineering course, I opted to be on my own. I started as a freelancer and soon became an employer. It has been a journey that has gone well and I have completed over 700 projects to date.
I have been fortunate to work across a variety of projects that I have successfully designed. As a result, my extensively diversified clientele is very happy. If I have to sum it up, my professional journey so far has been magical, challenging, spectacular and most importantly, gratifying. But the bottom line is that this achievement is not enough and I am rearing to go for more.
What kind of projects do you think will suit the environment of Bengaluru?
Primarily, Bengaluru is located at an altitude of 1,000 metres above sea level, which means that it enjoys a salubrious climate. However, with the city transforming into the ‘Silicon City’, the influx of patronising immigrants has multiplied and the sudden and stupendous urban transformation resulted in a colossal chaos. This has brought up serious challenges and has also questioned Bengaluru’s infrastructural facilities. It is, therefore, mandatory that revolutionary and sustainable urban transformation projects be kickstarted instantly, on a war footing. Projects that focus on improving ecology and those that are extremely user-friendly and urban redevelopment projects are the need of the hour.
Who inspires you?
Passion to my profession and veneration to my esteemed clients and their projects — are the two factors that are a source of my inspiration.
What is your ultimate goal when it comes to your work? What do you want to be remembered for?
I want to be remembered as an architect with the right attitude, dedication, duty consciousness, learning, creativity and hard work. Job satisfaction is my ultimate target. I profoundly believe in the fact that only when I am happy with my efforts, I can make my client happy. Therefore, I pay equal attention to all my projects and personally look into design sensibilities and sensualities of every project. Hence, all my projects are successful in terms of customer satisfaction.
The number of women in architecture is quite less. Is this because the profession is more challenging?
On an international platform, you will see there are many splendid and extraordinary women architects like late Zaha Hadid. I guess most women in India still do not get an opportunity to pursue career-oriented and technology-oriented literacy given their many constraints.
Though lately, it is comforting to observe that nearly 60% of architecture students are women, many of them unfortunately do not continue post their marriage. Though the practice of architecture is not very challenging for women, it is perhaps harder to make that professional and personal balance post marriage. A good trend is that of practicing architect couples and I am sure that more women will emerge in the field of architecture soon.
On the future of architecture...
In the 21st century, we are in a hybrid and technology-driven facet of architecture, wherein rapid transformation is on course to maximise security and human comfort. Therefore, the future of architecture for me would largely depend on the course of lifestyle of people in the decades to come, particularly in wake of terrorism that is engulfing the world.
Which project has given you the most satisfaction to date?
All my projects have given me the job satisfaction but if I had to pick one, it will be the Fortune J P Palace at Mysuru. This is a five-star luxury hotel and is a unit of Indian Tobacco Company (ITC). Usually, all clients approach their architect after purchasing the property, but here I rejected the proposal to design the hotel in the pre-defined site which they had already purchased.
Not just that, I insisted and convinced my client to provide me an appropriate site if I had to design, which they actually obliged. In fact, they shortlisted eight sites and gave me the freedom to select the most appropriate one ,which I did using a detailed scoresheet considering various factors like size, frontage, road width, floor ratio area (FAR), surroundings, accessibility, over all street scheme and the like. This structure has been built on European classical style, a unique style which suits Mysuru’s profound heritage and skylines.
What advice would you give to young architects?
I would say that the field of architecture is simply fascinating, challenging and
creative. I am sure most of the students would have chosen architectural
engineering by choice. It is, therefore, vital and exceptionally important for them to balance their design skills (learnt in their institution) with practical parameters (which is not taught in their institution) effectively. Though many architects pursue construction management for their Masters, the real masters in the Indian context would be contractors and subcontractors.