The Home Office.

Oxymora are my thing. I’ve always been amused by the clear contradictions that govern our lives. So, when Sai sat us down and explained the implicitly explicit house rules, I couldn’t help but spend some time thinking about the stark contrast between the offices I’ve seen and heard of and the one I’m in right now.

Yes, most of it probably stems from the attitude with which Sai and Leena deal with everyone around them; but it also has to do with the biggest oxymoron of them all- ‘the home office’.

The home office takes one look at the cliché that asks you never to take your work home, and chucks it right out the window. Irrespective of whether or not you have worked in another office, this idea of doubling your house as a home and an office can either make you slip right into the thick of things or completely unnerve you; not just because of the difference in the way things work but also because you’re slammed with a realization that you are accountable for what happens within someone else’ home, let alone the fact that it is your boss’ home.

But then again, maintaining a ‘professional’ demeanour when you’re literally at home is difficult.  You do end up being more ‘yourself’ and that is where quirks start to show. And quirks are important; they not only help you understand the people you work with faster but also teach you to adapt and learn how to align yourself with the varied personalities that are now entangled in your web of day-to-day life.

The point I’m trying to make is that this home office of ours seems to be well on its way to prove that work doesn’t always have to be a dreadful affair. It can sometimes, maybe even occasionally, be a cackling mess of productivity. How? That is something I hope to figure out over the course of my time here.

So long,
Namitha.   

Architecture a 24/7 job

Writing a blog post is a little like driving. You could study for months, read a billion articles on the driving, regulation and how to change the gear. But nothing could prepare you for the real thing. That is sitting behind a wheel and driving through the city traffic, i.e. the Indian city traffic.

I would say Architecture would be the same in this matter. You can spend five years learning about this profession but nothing really prepares you for the 24/7 commitment the job requires. This has come to my notice as I continue my internship at Sandarbh. Recently Sai went out of town with his family to celebrate Vishu. And though he was away he still was always in contact, messaging on our group and giving instruction. Same went for anyone in our office. Even though we would take an off we would volunteer to work on our assigned duties.

Yes, people "volunteer" to be the key word here. We opted to work from home. And I realized it was because not only was each one of us is dedicated to our duties but it is because we cared.

Architecture is a 24/7 job. It is something you hear everyone say. But what they don’t tell you is that it isn’t a 24/7 job that you have to do, it is a 24/7 job that you would want to do.

Find your Tribe

In general terms inspiration is thought of this mystic force that hits you from time to time and just all the problems in your life gets sorted. It’s something that “comes along”, something you have no control over. Of course you can always wait for inspiration to strike and just work on other things, however what happens in case of a deadline? Or you need to get a project started? You can’t just sit around for this mystic force to strike! You have to go and make things happen.

You can find inspiration in almost everyone and everything.

Here is what I propose.

Surround yourself with people who share your passion.

At Sandarbh, believe me when I say, no two people are the same. Everyone is different, with different talents and hobbies.

Drashti makes amazing drawings.

Meghna is the sketcher.

Rambo wants to start with this carpentry hobby.

Ananya is the well read one.

Aafreen is the hustler.

And the list goes on and on and on.

However no matter how different we all may be we share the same love and passion for architecture. And so working in a symbiosis we not only achieve our goals but also have fun while at it.

We inspire and motivate each other constantly. And that is what keeps us moving forward.

So find yourself a group of crazy people who share your passion. 

Find your tribe. 

No matter how colorful they maybe, it will be worth it!

You may be Dying!

STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING! You may be suffering from a deadly disease! It may be taking over your life and you may not even know it!

Are you suffering from acute sleep loss?

Is your head spinning with nothing but thoughts of curing, excavation or toilet details?

Do you feel an adrenaline rush when you see perfect symmetry?

Are you having hangovers after an extensive night-out pondering over the juxtaposition of two masses that would extrapolate the Genisus loci and add to the whole phenomenological aspect while keeping in mind the purity of vernacular regionalism which would serve the ergonomy of the space?

If all these symptoms are a yes, I am sad to say you may be suffering from Archititis.

It is a chronic occurring, mostly communicable but often genetic.

Its symptoms also include,

• ·        Usage of unidentifiable jargon, such as cantilever, paradigm, aesthetic, monolithic, duality or zeitgeist.
• ·        Reoccurring dreams of site workers who may be doing it wrong.
• ·        Fear that the contractor will actually build the correction bubble on site.
• ·        Caffeine dependent
• ·        Searching for north in public spaces.
• ·        Criticizing the general “feel” of most malls
• ·        Trying to CTRL+S in real life

And much more.

If you have five or more of such symptoms. No need to connect to your nearest doctors. There are millions more like you out there. Living with the architecture affliction under the impression that it is a distinctive way of life.

If you are already one of us. Congratulations! We know you need a drink.

If you are yet to be one. Don’t worry, you will eventually die with this affliction. But so will everyone else on the planet with something or another.

So relax, and bask in the mad glory that is Architecture!

(Disclaimer: Information provided in this blog is just for lulz and not designed to hurt or offend anyone’s feelings. This blog should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition except from Archititis, which is very real and affects most of the people I know. However, the publisher or author are not responsible for any specific health or allergy needs that may require medical supervision and are not liable for any damages or negative consequences from any treatment, action, application or preparation, to any person reading or following the information in this blog. Lastly, I swear I love architecture XD)

Project 356

As I got pretty good reviews on the last blog I wrote (for those of you living under a rock, Introducing the interns) luckily I got to kick working drawings out of my life and drag the blog in.

Sai is a great believer that if you love something, do it obsessively. And though my obsession never gets to see the light of the other day it has become my goal to take up a Project 356 (or at least a project 90?). The point being I will be updating every day, at least one post talking about (if not architecture) the life of an intern.

It could be about anything, from design to basic Sandarbh gossip. It would be a picture from the eyes of Shreya “The intern”.

Starting off I believe my first project 365 should be about my one true love. This being Valentine's day it would be almost poetic.

Architecture.

The mother of all arts, architecture has been the most talked about field than its other sisters, sculpting and art. One may not understand art but one definitely understands architecture. It is a language of the senses. And in today’s world people are realizing the real importance of it.

And one might pontificate there are several things great about architecture. It is beauty (but what is beauty?). It is luxury (but what is luxury?) and it is necessity. But nothing listed above tells us what lies within. The true soul. The real question. What makes it so darn relevant?

If words are used for documenting the past events. Architecture would be used for documenting the past experiences. And so in that experience we find the connection to the people who were.

And that makes it relevant.

That makes it beautiful, luxurious and a necessity.