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FUTURARC INTERVIEW


There were definitely very defined roles of women and men, not just in the society, but also in an architecture practice.


BJ: Do the rules of having a work-life balance also apply to you? Do you extend the same kind of flexibility towards yourself because sometimes as leaders we do forget to take that time out for ourselves? SR: Absolutely. We started Morphogenesis 10 days before delivering my child and I started bringing them to work 30 days later. And even till today, if I have to tend to my children—though they are adults now—I end up telling my clients that “look, I have to speak with my daughter because she is repeatedly calling from abroad where she lives alone”. I don’t think anyone should have a problem with the fact that apart from being committed to my work, I am also committed to my children.


BJ: I often feel that conversations about women in architecture is not intersectional enough. We are still only talking about women from comparatively privileged backgrounds because architectural education is expensive and a lot of women from marginalised communities are not joining the profession. Have you had enough people working for Morphogenesis from diverse backgrounds? SR: Yes, we have. In fact, one of our star performers is a woman who comes from a very small town in Jharkhand, a state in eastern India. We have had an employee who suffered domestic abuse at home while none of us knew. She was a draughtsperson who became an architect through a distance learning programme, all while working here and travelling back to her abusive home, which was almost two hours outside of Delhi. And not just women—we have men from diverse socio-economic backgrounds who have stayed in the profession even though architecture as a profession is only now beginning to be well paid.


BJ: I know it’s easy—and self-perpetuating—to ‘see’ women’s role in any area as nurturing, ‘soft’, compassionate, and so on; but is it necessarily so, especially in this field? Is there a real difference—notwithstanding glass ceilings and power politics— between a male or female architect’s designs? What is the difference—if any—between a male or female architect’s designs? SR: Honestly, I fail to see any difference between how the two genders design. This used to be a hot topic of discussion during my time at the AA (Architectural Association School of Architecture, London) and neither was I able to see the difference then, nor do I see it today.


BJ: Is there a difference between how you and Manit Rastogi approach architecture? SR: We both like to enquire and ideate on a project based on the first principles of design. We both have our interests and suites that we like to be closely involved with in each project. Manit works more on the sustainability aspect while I am very passionate about materials and construction. However, each project begins with our trademarked design process called SOUL: Sustainable, Optimised, Unique and Liveable.


BJ: Morphogenesis is now one of the largest architectural firms in India. Have you found it difficult to maintain quality as you expand your footprint? SR: We were very aware of the challenges that come up after a practice grows beyond a certain size. That is why Morphogenesis functions like a conglomeration of multiple studios—not more than 25 people— instead of being one monolithic entity. Each of these studios handles six to eight projects. Essentially, we have been able to offer and maintain the rigor of a small studio with the experience of a large firm.


FUTURARC 67


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