1. What is the inspiration behind your design firm’s name?
The name, ‘Charged Voids’, emerges from the value we ascribe to the ‘in-between’ transitional spaces in the built environment. The negative space or the voids that define a spatial mass are one of the underlying inspirations for our practice.
2. What is that one design book/movie you found inspiring?
West meets East by Mies van der Rohe is a must-read if you ask me! It explains, in detail, the philosophies of the masters of Architecture and is sure to guide those looking to design a contemporary space with a spiritual character.
3. In what ways does your personality reflect in your designs?
Having spent my childhood inside the hallowed halls of the Capitol Complex, my design philosophy and thinking have been shaped by Le Corbusier’s core principles of modernism as well as my experience training under Pritzker Prize-winning Architect B.V. Doshi. The learnings from these formative years of my life filter down and impact my daily design choices.
4. What inspires you in your day-to-day architectural practice?
As an architect, I am constantly learning from the past while designing for the future. In our practice, we aim to infuse a sense of continuity into the built form that binds our past with the future.
5. Who is your favourite architect?
At the onset of my career, I was fortunate enough to train under the B.V. Doshi and Rajeev Kathpalia Sir. As a student, my time at Vastu Shilpa Consultants shaped my ideology and thought process regarding architecture.
6. Do you have a signature style?
All of our projects are unique in themselves, with a few common threads that underpin each commission, such as the use of simple material palettes, due diligence to context, and the ability to sketch the entire design with a limited number of strokes. If we see the most impressive buildings in the world—the pyramids, for instance, one can produce them in 3 strokes. I always insist that the first model of any project should be a pocket-sized model—because if it is that small, you can’t put too many elements into it!
7. The one design philosophy you swear by?
I think architecture should be both sensitive and sensible while being thoughtfully experimental. Our architectural approach is derived from a critical examination of the times we live in as well as the ecological and environmental factors that shape our collective experiences.
8. The one design quote you find timeless?
“Gravity builds space, light builds time, and gives reason to time.” ~Campo Baeza.
9. A message to those few young practising Architects out there?
I believe when starting out, practising architects should understand how not to grow and take on work that they actually believe in, even if it is limited.