Here's to you.

If I started to give you anecdotes about the way technology has handicapped us every single day, I probably would have enough content for the rest of the year.

But alas! That is not how this project works.

I am pretty sure that over the course of over 300 blogs, it would have come up quite a few times that generating a blog every single day is not easy. What ends up happening, more often than not, is that the writer of the blogs goes around asking everyone in office if they have any ideas or suggestions and will most definitely receive variations of the same threat:
"I swear, if you ask me this question one more time..!"

Alas, desperate times call for desperate measures and those are exactly what these incessant questions count as. But some times, these encounters can give rise to some pretty interesting, amusing or even perfectly mundane blogs.

I would've never thought that I'd ever write about Bougainvillea or Cab rides or even, more recently, scrubbing the floors. So here's a shout out to the crazy stories each member of this office comes up with.

And here's to you looking forward to the answers that come because we keep bugging others with the same question,
Always.

Namitha.

Best Wishes

So today I was assigned with the task of writing a regret letter for the next batch of interns who were not selected through the process. And though I kept on telling Ananya that it should be short and sweet, for some reason or another she kept of telling me it shouldn’t be that. It shouldn’t be two lines telling the students who are starting with their architectural dreams that they are not good enough for an office.

I kind of agree. Rejections can be hard. And often painful. Infact according to a psychology study, rejection and physical pain seem very similar to our brains.

If words can be used to make people feel, why not have them feel a little better about themselves? Along with a minor setback why don’t we tell these amazing people that life still goes on, and so should your dreams!

This is to all the people who couldn’t make past the first level of selection. Our selection process is quite unconventional than other offices. We like to work with people who help us improve our practice and bring in fresh new ideas and enthusiasm.It is because we have a limitation in terms of number that we were not able to select you and not for the lack of your abilities.  I wish you the best of luck in life. And may we cross paths in a higher note once again. 

Best Wishes

Ideally Ideal

 Recently in the office we have been discussing about the idea of an ideal office space.

Being architects, obsessed with space planning naturally the discussion was a little over the top and frankly insane. Some want to paint the walls full of murals. Some even suggested to put up a workshop and have an art cafe. For some it is conditional, having the fridge stacked with beer, for others it was locational, with a corner office in a New York skyscraper overlooking the central park.

The bug really got into our ear when Meghna and Drashti sat on the tree house and overcame their creative block, coming up with an efficient strategy.

Anyone in a creative field understands the importance of an absorbing working space. The condition of your work space has a huge impact on the quality and productivity of your work.

But what is productivity? Is it sitting in a corner and completing your work for the day? It’s certainly no longer sitting on the desk and work with your head down all day long.

It might be about creating ideas, solving problems, and help team—mates get their next big idea.

In the past people used to have to sit on their desks and answer to calls and mails, but today one can do that— and any other work— from anywhere.

So does that mean, from a creative and logical point of view, having a desk is not important anymore?

Isn’t it more crucial to make sure people are connecting and brainstorming, like Meghna and Drashti on the tree house?

Aren't the walls with incomplete stories waiting to be filled more exciting than a coffee machine?

Isn’t a design for human potential, or for the intellectual and emotional intelligence more important than any corner office?

So let me ask again, what is this ideal office anyway?

Introducing the Interns

We have been busy busy busy here at Sandarbh this season with the Banarhalli, KnK, Linu’s and so many more. Six new interns including me joined this year. And counting the old four, the total makes it ten! And so on behalf of the interns I would like to introduce all of us new to the Sandarbh family, and congratulate those who opted to continue for another semester.

Starting with the old interns, and by old I don’t mean grey hair I mean the ones continuing working with us for another semester.

The first and foremost our guardian angel Kavi. She is the oldest and the youngest intern of Sandarbh. The sweet, helpful Kavi. Be it sketchup or hunting for flats, Kavi is you gal. Apart from being the go to savior Kavi has a dark streak and Jamsheed knows it pretty well. With her regular teasing and mean comments that we all love, Kavi Bharathi is the one to hang out and know will be taken care of.

Then comes Kiri, he likes to call himself the “visionare” of the firm, though I keep on telling him the word he is trying to find is “visionary”. Of course he disagrees… every time. One could describe him to be a sweet thing but in reality he is a slippery thing who is best in getting away with his escapades by his sweet smile and cheeky words. (Of course Sai is immune to all that and sees right through his beguile).

Next would be the fearless Aafreen. She may look like your regular competitive, plucky, energetic, tenacious, who does most of her work on the phone, but she is just so much more. She is also a caring individual with a soft heart, but she makes sure it doesn’t affect her work. (You wouldn’t want to see her when she is angry).

And then the brooding Shaz. The tough guy who is so sure he has all the answers. However realized he was Jon Snow the moment he met Sai, as did we all. It is not often we get to see Shaz in the office. He works off the site mostly. However when we do he is mostly sitting with people having a heart to heart. (We see through you Shaz! You marshmallow!).

And with that we are done with the old interns and will be moving on to the new ones.

It has been almost a month all of us have been together but believe me when I say it seems longer. So let’s go alphabetically shall we?

Drashti Meena is the working drawing expert of the office who makes mean autocad drawings. Apart from being scary efficient in her work she is a funny but blunt individual who goes after a problem with a club. There is only one problem she has yet to solve and that is her overbearing roommate who may remain anonymous.

Jamsheed or as he liked to be called Jamshy is like a teddy bear of the studio. He has a heart of gold who wants to start being capable enough to start taking care of his parents as soon as possible. But that is not enough. As it may turn out he has dreams of going for a long bike ride across the Himalayas and live in tents. Always be your forgiving self Jamshy.

Meghna is a workaholic. Period. If she gets work and she is unable to do it during work hours, she will make sure to take it home and do it all night until it is finished. But work aside. She is an observant person who knows very well what’s going around in the office. That’s why her hair is so thick… they are full of secrets. Jokes apart she is highly sensitive and is able to find the best in people and help them in adversities.

And then there is Ritika, the smartest of the all. She is always on time, be it for a deadline or be it leaving office. According to her it is mostly because she is dead scared of Bengaluru traffic. But we all know it’s because she has a life… the girl with the strangest talents also tells us she can form the Olympics logo with my bendy fingers. Truly strange.

Siddharth a.k.a Sid is barely seen in the office. He is out running around from site to site. Or off works “hangs with his friends” that we all know don’t exist. There was a time when he was in office but now his Sheldon spot has been taken by Drashti… and he does not like it. He has a strange ability to say all the wrong things and then get blasted for it. But it is also his best quality so I guess we will let it pass.

And last but definitely not the least, it is yours truly Shreya Singh. I like to think I am a multitasking superstar who would be great with everything thrown towards me. Of course my Jon Snow moment came a little late, becoming a humbling instant to know that’s not true. The rest of the interns like to call me the critic of Sandarbh, I like to call myself insightful. (And with that my self-praise should end or else I would be on top of the Empire state once again.)

And so in the end, I, on behalf of the interns, would like to thank the incredible team for making us feel welcomed to the firm.