Design Process - 1

We are going to be marking the foundation lines for a new project this week and am so excited. Realized that I am more an architect than an interior designer. Interior design projects dont send my adrenaline pumping as much as architecture projects.

My freind asha from ashaan designs has been telling me to log the process of design and construction rather than the result for quite a while now. So am going to heed those words of wisdom and document this particular project, a home for a lovely family in bangalore.

Promise not to omit even the stuff that has gone wrong or the work relationship tensions at site. The whole deal in all its glory and rawness I promise will be broadcast :).

Residential architecture I am discovering is also a lot about managing emotions and relationships with clients as it's their home and it gets very personal for the architect as well as the client. Clashes are inevitable and clients come with myriad temperaments and demands. Every time I feel I have learnt to master these relationships, the rug is pulled from below my feet and I am left scrambling fighting to keep those emotions in check.

In non residential projects almost always the clients are looking at the architect to fulfill functional requirements and make the space look exciting and interesting. Architects are given freedom to come out with imaginative designs and discussions are lively.

On the other hand the home design is so close to a client's heart as its an expression of his/her personality and wealth and it's also very close to the architect's heart as homes can be uniquely designed and so here is where the fun begins.

I used to be of the know-it-all architect frame of mind with the hoity-toity attitude that clients are by default not design savvy. But as the years have passed I have grown wiser and patient :) and realize after all it's the client's hard earned money and they do deserve to have a home they enjoy aesthetically even if it's not considered exciting by architecture standards.

So if it's a project involving traditional architectural elements like heavy motifs and carved pillars/doors, I beg myself out of the project as I would not do justice to the project as I dont enjoy that kind of architecture and there are other architects out there who thrive on such designs. I love rustic, retro and contemporary designs. I would deliver a hardcore modernist and minimalist project without being strained one bit, but now I find those kind of spaces boring and devoid of character. There has to be a couple of elements to offset those grey/black/white spaces with the personality of the residents.

But on the other hand Deconstruction totally excites me as there is so much going on and its difficult for the eye to comprehend it all in a minute. Franklin D Israels work never ceases to tire me. I'm always looking at interpreting his design lines in all my work.

Some pictures of a home near completion below: