Transforming Janaky Sadan

As I had told all of you earlier (you can read the previous blog here), one of the projects we are currently working on is the renovation 'Janaky Sadan' which in fact is my ancestral home. It has personally been a very interesting process for me right from  the start of the project- creating the design brief, discussing ideas,etc. Not to mention the fact that I get to be a part of the architect's office designing my house as a client as well as an architect. 

This opportunity of working on my own project in my workplace has opened up new opportunities for interesting interactions- for me and within the office as well. Starting from helping me initiate the process of writing narratives for the projects at the office to understanding the little nitty-gritty of understanding client behavior from the client's side - it has definitely been a learning experience which probably would continue till the house is complete. 

But, the best part of this experience has not been any of this. It's the feeling of sitting on my table, with architects sitting around me discussing, sketching and working on my home. We talk about the elevation details and how the traditional Kerala architecture elements would be brought in. We talk about the context of the village it is situated in and how our lifestyle would change when staying there. We talk about the neighbors, the views, the bay windows, the staircase and the little details that would define the house. It is definitely greatly thrilling to watch sketches being made and design being worked on by multiple architects around my table. 

I try imagining the times about 60 years ago when my grand-dad must have probably sat around his table, working with his architect -  designing the house from scratch. I wonder how the decisions were taken back then - and what the constraints were. From the day 1 of the design, Sai has been talking to me about envisioning the house to be like how my grandparents would have wanted it to be - without considering the constraints that made Janaky Sadan how it is now. Now as his granddaughter as well as the architect, repeating the same process as he did back then, I wonder how different it is from the one 60 years ago. 

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After months of conversation, designing and more conversations, the process of spatial planning has almost come to an end and we have moved to the estimates, scheduling the construction, etc. I can't explain how exciting it is to take a team of architects and artisans from my office to the site for starting the work on my project.

Come back to this space for more updates on this!

- Ananya

Two thirds to go

Today I've been a part of Sandarbh for exactly 2 months- one third of my total internship period. The work has been interesting to say the least. Over this period I've come to realise a lot about myself - my strengths, weaknesses and capabilities. I really look forward to office. But as much I love the work and the people, I also really enjoy my days off. Today I got a chance to catch up with a few of my college friends. It was amazing to meet them after all this time. Post the usual pleasantries, the conversation was pretty much centred around each of our internship experiences- office environment, type of projects, working hours, our colleagues. As we kept discussing with each other, I realised what a perfect fit Sandarbh has been for me. The work environment provides us with processes and a structure but within that too there is enough flexibility to suit each of us. We also get to focus on the areas that we're interested in whether it's writing, sketching, composition or anything else under the sun. Skill-building too is a unique part of the work that is expected of us - reading, researching or simply having discussions on the different aspects of architecture. And of course the people at work have been a huge part of this experience. I've seen them at their most serious, completely focused on resolving issues or meeting deadlines and I've also seen them chilling, laughing, gossiping even! It's been a journey of ups and downs but it's been worthwhile. Can't wait to see what the remaining two-thirds is going to be like!

-Mannat

4 weeks at Sandarbh : Nikhil

Let's get straight to Nikhil's experiences at Sandarbh!

Me: Hi Nikhil! Let's start off with a small introduction for our readers.
Nikhil: Hi I'm Nikhil. I come from simple family from a small village called Thankamani. Since childhood I've had an interest in drawing. Coincidentally my father's brother and my mother's brother both are painters, so I've grown up with an artistic influence around me. However, due to our financial background I always thought I'll get into a basic degree course. After my 12th I stumbled upon a great entrance institution that would train the underprivileged. Initially I started off thinking I'll do engineering but while I was there my faculty noticed my artistic inclination and suggested I go in for B.Arch. I gave the NATA entrance and actually scored the 53rd rank in all of Kerala!

Me: I'd definitely say that you're quite a talented artist. There's another hidden talent of yours that we came across. How did you get into micro art?
Nikhil: The first time I came across pencil carving was at a NASA convention in Jaipur. They had a small workshop there and that's where I started. It's a very interesting medium. Contrary to popular belief I find that it's  actually less time consuming than other arts like paintings or portraits.

Me: So, how has your experience at Sandarbh been so far?
Nikhil: I'd heard about Sandarbh from my friends. Most of them had already applied here and then I sent in my portfolio. Sai called me and we spoke about the sketches I'd added in my portfolio. It's part of my Saturday routine to go to the temples in Trivandrum and sketch them. I think that played a big role in my selection.
I like the kind of work we do in the office. A lot of my classmates are only drafting in office. I really like that we get to participate in the design process. It's quite exciting. We are getting to learn a lot from Sai and it's very inspiring. A lot of elements that we use often in the projects are very interesting in my opinion - like for instance the Mangalore glass tiles for roofing. Recently we were working on a farmhouse project and we were talking about luxurious spaces. In that conversation Sai started talking about luxury and how different people look at it. He explained that large and spacious are two completely different things - something that I really hadn't thought of before this. It's been a great experience so far and I'm really enjoying the work we're doing.

Me: Continuing from your current experiences, any expectations for the rest of the internship?
Nikhil: I really like how I'm able to bring together both art and architecture. I hope that I can continue to experience both the fields simultaneously and keep improving in both!

-Mannat

4 weeks at Sandarbh : Akshay

4 weeks at Sandarbh : Akshay

After yesterday's interesting interruption we're back to the 4 weeks series. Let's see what it's been like for Akshay...

Me: Hi Akshay! Can you please introduce yourself to our readers
Akshay: Hi I'm Akshay and I'm from Calicut. I come from a background of jewelry designers and I guess my creative streak comes from that.  My father makes many drawings of jewelry designs and I guess I've received some of my drawing skills from him. I'm also really inclined towards sculpture. I don't know how good I am at it, but I really enjoy it. Initially when I started my architectural education I didn't really like it. But then as I started making models I started enjoying it. In fact for juries I'd always make the models first and focus on the sheets later.

Me: So, how did you end up at Sandarbh?
Akshay: In our 6th semester we headed to Bangalore for a case study. It was on the way that I was preparing my portfolio. In fact I sent my application while I was in the bus. An hour or so later Sai called me. He was in Trivandrum at that time and wanted to know if I could meet him. Unfortunately by the time he would've been back in Bangalore, I would have left from there. The meeting never happened and it was somewhat of a missed opportunity.
I got a mail from Sandarbh and was really happy to receive it. I was the first person in my class to get an internship and seeing this all of my classmates started applying to Sandarbh too. With so many people appying I actually had to reconfirm if I had gotten it. Sai said he would get back to me on it post reviewing all applications. After 2 weeks, back in college, a friend of mine got hospitalised. We were visiting her in the hospital when I got a call from Sai informing me that I was a part of Sandarbh. Ananya called me after that to tell me that I had been added to the Sandarbh group and well I've been a part of this ever since.

Me: How has your experience at Sandarbh been uptil now?
Akshay: The very first job I actually got was a site visit in Trivandrum, before even officially joining Sandarbh. Nikhil and I had gone to the site to take dimensions. In the first week at Sandarbh, I wasn't really able to enjoy the firm or the city. After a few days though it got better. I really appreciate the fact that we are being given an opportunity to design. It's a great learning experience and it's very important for me. Unlike my friends who are only doing drafting, I actually get to experience the process of designing.

Me: Any special memories or experiences that you'd like to share with us?
Akshay: Initially I was a bit scared of Sai. I would be quite afraid when he would get upset with us. But recently I say in a meeting with Sai and understood the reason for this. He told us about how he had to learn from the mistakes he made in his career and how they had been quite expensive mistakes too. The only reason he gets upset with us is that he doesn't want us to go through the same cycle of mistakes. It doesn't scare me so much anymore!

Me: Before we end this, any hopes or expectations for the remainder of the internship?
Akshay: I'm really enjoying the work as it is, but I would really like to make some models soon!

-Mannat

Interruptions

I know I promised you guys a series elucidating the experiences of all the interns over the next few days but this is an interruption. An interruption to specifically talk about the interruptions that were a part of a very eventful day.
Shashank and I headed out from office yesterday with a very clear agenda - we had sites to visit, things to get done and material to buy. But in all of this no one accounted for the bike and it's moods. On our way to the first site, we figured that there's an issue with the first gear. From one site to the other, we just about managed. On our way to the steel vendor, the bike decided to act up again. The gear pin came off. We were trying to figure how to manage this - from mechanics to petrol pumps. Post that everything seemed to be going well. We got the material, got it delivered at site and then headed out to the next one. We thought that was it for the day but it really wasn't. Halfway between the two sites we realised that the bike had run out of fuel. With no fuel and no battery in our phones we figured out how to get to the nearest petrol pump. Luckily by this time Sai and Sulu, who were also heading to site, came to our rescue. As we were talking about our extremely eventful day, Sai casually commented that this was something he had expected to happen, even if we hadn't. All of these interruptions to our well planned day was more of a learning experience for next time - preparation is key to a successful day!

-Mannat

It's all about the Intent

Its been a while since I have written anything for the Sandarbh blog. Every time I was asked, I would say that I had been busy and writing a blog just wouldn't fit into my schedule - but Sai would counter me saying that it's just about the intent. I would promptly disagree with him. But as I think about my journey through this office, I can distinctly see what a difference just intent can make.

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Chilling on the Tree House

I remember the first time I entered the Sandarbh Design Studio. I found the office to be a small, quiet space. There were a few interns sitting in the space we then called the 'garage'. The office and garage had a distinct separation. There were fewer conversations, less laughter and was generally a space with lower energy than it is now. 

Today, the office I stepped into this morning, can nowhere be compared to the office that I entered on the first day of office.  This morning was filled with so much bustling energy, that even if you enter the space with a low vibe, there is no way you would be getting out of there with the same energy. There were multiple layers of conversations taking place, Sai's table - where once people had to be called to, is now occupied all day - with various conversations about future strategies, design conversations, project management going on throughout the day. Having said that, the discussions are not just limited to Sai's table anymore. It takes place near the swing, on the bench in the garden and sometimes in the treehouse. You would not find any time that the studio or the office is silent or empty. People have found their cozy nooks to work from - the space that I described as a 'garage' in the first blog I had written about the office, cannot be just seen as a garage anymore.

Project Management discussions in the garden

The energy in and around the office makes it a lovely space to work out of. 

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Athira and Nandini busy setting up the studio space

This transformation of the office is not just a coincidence. It was a made through a series of decisions made with one intent in mind - to make the office a fun space to work out of - even before the core team that now makes the office was put together. The intent was to fill the office with people who compliment each other's strengths, where everyone who works within the space, gets out with a sense of fulfillment. Every little decision taken was done with this intent in mind. Starting from the design process to the process of picking our employees, from renaming and redesigning the garage to transform it into the studio, to creating specific job roles within the office - a lot of decisions were taken with this particular aim in mind. 

"Think about the big picture", Sai would say. I didn't understand why it was necessary back then - but today as I look at the office functioning around me, I understand where just the intent would make a big difference.

- Ananya

4 Weeks at Sandarbh : Reenu

So in no particular order, today I'm going to start off with sharing Reenu's experience with all of you. Here goes...

Me: So Reenu, why don't you start off by telling us a little more about yourself
Reenu: Hey! I'm Reenu. I've been born and brought up in Bangalore. I've had an interest in travelling right from my school days which is one of the things that actually drew me to architecture. I always strive to strike a balance between work and fun. And I'm a foodie! Even as a family we love experimenting with new restaurants.

Me: How was day 1 at Sandarbh? And how has the rest of the experience been from that point on?
Reenu: On the very first day we got to see Meghna's portfolio and I'd be lying if  I said that I wasn't insanely impressed. It really struck me hard. Everybody was really warm and welcoming though. I got a chance to speak to everyone and noticed that people were opening up to me too.
I was the only intern from  Banagalore and wondered how I would travel an hour and a half to work everyday. I was a little skeptical at first but now as I get comfortable I don't mind staying back beyond office hours also. The people are friendly and the work is engaging - all reasons that somehow manage too keep us at work to the point where sometimes Sai literally threatens to throw us out of office.
Every day at Sandarbh is like a new experience, a new story. I too was new to project management when I got here. I simply assumed that it wasn't very complex (it kind of is but gets easier as you keep doing it). My experience with office management too has been full of ups and downs. I started off with managing the sites and now am managing the office processes. So yeah, we're learning everyday and it keeps getting better!

Me: Site to Office... What was that change like?
Reenu: In essence both are pretty much similar. They have similar processes and you have to be pre-prepared for both. One major difference though was the language issue on site. I'm not too good with Hindi and so would struggle with that. The workers on site would ask me three questions in Hindi and by the fourth question I'd be stumped, not understanding what they were saying. Atleast language isn't an issue when managing the office schedule.

Me: Any hopes or expectations for the months to come?
Reenu: The past month has been a very interesting experience and I'm hoping the journey ahead is even better (and hopefully a bit more stable too) It's been a bit hectic but I'm learning to manage my time and have fun too. The evenings when we would go out to watch the matches together were indeed a lot of fun. Soon some of the interns will leave and probably new ones would join too. I'm curious to see how it would all be!

-Mannat