At Brilliant Read Media, it is our constant endeavour to identify and share some of the unique and compelling stories from the startup ecosystem. As part of this, we invited Akancsha Sood for an interview with Brilliant Read Media. To say further, Akancsha is an Architect, Interior Designer and Founder & Creative Head at Aaranya Architects. Let us learn more about her background, her inspiring journey so far and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Akancsha:
Could you please talk us through your background and your journey?
I am an architect, and I belong to Chandigarh, where I did the latter part of my schooling and bachelor’s from the Chandigarh College of Architecture 1998-2003. It is imperative that I start talking about my professional journey from 2003 when I began working at a well-established firm in the NCR.
In my 16 years of working with them, I gained in-depth experience in the field of design and construction, through managing several large-scale projects like condominiums, institutions, malls and hotels. In early 2020 I quit my job in order to rethink the future course of my architectural journey.
A six-month sabbatical, a lot of research and many workshops, I started my firm Aaranya Architects that focuses on sustainability and eco-friendly construction at its core.
How did you rediscover your passion?
The decision to leave my well-set job and traverse into the unknown was very challenging. Beyond extensive introspective dwelling, this decision attracted a lot of surprise and dissuasion from many. With that, the pursuit of creating sustainable and eco-friendly buildings using diminishing traditional knowledge and wisdom made it tougher.
Personally, too this involved changing cities, living a much slower life, not chasing goals and financial stability but trading it with quality and balance.
Achieving this almost ideal balance along with being a new entrepreneur made me more frugal and sustainable, a principle that extends directly from my work ethos.
Our audience would love to know about your entrepreneurial journey, how did you start?
My entrepreneurial journey started in 2021 when ‘Aaranya Architects’ was formed. ‘Aaranya’ means forest and happiness and the word deeply resonates with our ideology.
Humanity needs more trees than buildings for sustenance! A thought that might be a contradiction for architects who are usually obsessed with creating built and negating the natural but in today’s forgotten reality there is an undeniable and urgent need to build along with and not against nature.
So far, the journey has been replete with exciting opportunities to design passively and contextually. It has involved using natural and vernacular building materials like earth, stone, lime and brick.
Through each project, effort is to design mindfully and restore our lost connections between the built and natural environment. Along the way, Aaranya Architects received the FOAID architecture category winner for 2022 for its sustainable and innovative design.
What are the challenges you have faced in your journey?
The construction industry in the early 2000s saw a huge upsurge as young professionals were pushed into a wave of developing the country’s economically fast-growing cities.
Though fortunate to have been in Gurgaon at the time, it was not without its fair share of struggles of long working hours and inordinate delivery pressures. This besides the inherent stress of being in a male-dominated work environment.
I would like to share an anecdote here: – While studying at the College of Architecture, our batch had a shocking and atypically high 95% female population, while at the workplace which I joined right after college, I was the only woman in the company for almost an entire year!
From construction sites to board rooms, women were far and few between, though things are much better presently with more women at all levels though we are still a long way to go in terms of parity.
In your opinion what are the keys to success?
For me success is not measured through material wealth but through experiences and exciting journeys that one takes in one’s personal and professional life. Having said that focus, sincerity and hard work are irreplaceable and keys for us to live happy and meaningful lives.
What is your advice for our readers?
To all budding architects and young professionals, I would like to say that each person is unique and has her own journey, so it’s futile to compare and vital to keep learning and honing your skills. Also not to be afraid of unlearning, putting your head down and starting afresh!
BrilliantRead is committed to bringing stories from the startup ecosystem, stories that reshape our perspective, add value to our community and be a constant source of motivation not just for our community but also for the whole ecosystem of entrepreneurs and aspiring individuals.
Note: If you have a similar story to share with our audience and would like to be featured on our online magazine, then please write to us at [email protected], we will review your story and extend an invitation to feature if it is worth publishing.
