At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the finest stories from the entrepreneurship world. As part of this endeavour, we invited a passionate entrepreneur – Rahul Mehta for an exclusive interview with us. Rahul is a Creative Leader, Entrepreneur, Architect, Consultant and Mentor. He is the Founder and Principal Architect at Rahul Mehta Architects. Let’s learn more about his inspiring journey, his background and his advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Rahul:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey, please;
It’s been an interesting journey till this point so far. I studied at Jamnabai Narsee School followed by Mithibai College and then learnt architecture at Kamala Raheja Vidya-Nidhi school for architecture and environmental studies.
I then spent 16 to 17 years getting experience in the field. I was lucky to have an opportunity to work with Ar. Sen Kapadia, Ar. Haresh Mehta and P G Patki Architects.
Over these years I got the opportunity to work on various project typologies such as residential, commercial, hospitality, industrial, institutional and mixed-use across the verticals of master planning, architecture, interior and landscape design.”
The profession also led me to meet my wife, Ar. Sonali Mehta. Our love for design & the profession along with my everlasting love for entrepreneurship and backing from a number of well-wishers led to us starting our practice with “Rahul Mehta Architects”.
What made you passionate about ‘Architecture’?
From a very young age, I was always very passionate about design. As time passed it became apparent that it would be a field of creativity which would be something I would be committed to.
Coming from a Gujarati family which ran its own business I was always inclined to understand numbers and entrepreneurship. The realm of architectur-al design in our urban fabric allowed a merger of my two passions which if simply put means that commercially viable designing became a passion.
The most exciting part of our profession is that one has the opportunity to express thoughts through design and make an impact on the urban/rural fabric through that very expression & creation while also seeing to it that the same is in line with the aspirations (may they be personal or linked to commercial gains for themselves) of our clients/patrons.
‘Rahul Mehta Architects’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please. Our audience would also love to know what kind of problem you are solving?
Well, actually not sure if it’s that unique. The idea was simple, I did make some connections over the last 16 to 17 years and we just felt it was only logical to with the name “Rahul Mehta Architects” to help them identify with the design and deliverables I always stood for.
The profession of architectural design consultancy is purely a problem-solving exercise; every project is a new puzzle that has to be solved and that uniqueness is what keeps us going since it can’t allow for monotony to creep in.
But from the larger picture/standpoint we aim to create tailor-made solutions for clients catering to all economic segments with an emphasis on providing flexible, clean, efficient and sustainable layouts with an approach to provide landmark solutions with an evergreen sense of aesthetics.
Rahul Mehta Architects is envisioned to be a breeding ground for ideas and designs which tackle the needs, ambitions and challenges of today’s ever evolving fabric of requirements and needs of the clients, end users and cities.”
We believe in building relationships be it with clients, end users, consultants, contractors, vendors or with anyone we come in touch with. This is not only part of our value system but also one of our strengths. The idea is to work in an open-minded form, which means respecting and listening to and absorbing thoughts from all stakeholders for any given project and coming out with the best possible design solution in the endeavour to make every project a landmark in its own right.
The studio aims to provide innovative design solutions addressing the given context in a process-driven manner. The services include Architectural, Interior & landscape design along with master planning services. We provide our services to various locations while working out of the bustling city of Mumbai.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
As I mentioned before every project is different and there in every solution is unique and there in every project brings across new challenges. Challenges, therefore, are one of our strongest motivators and drivers.
From a personal standpoint the love for design and the desire to see our imagination come to life along with the sense of responsibility that what we create is what someone would inhabit is an absolute driver.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
In daily life, nothing motivates me more than my family and my team. These are the 2 sets of people whose moods and thoughts matter to me and keep me going.
I truly believe that every success is due to the backing of my family and the hard work of my team and every error is learning that I must make to strive to be better for both of them.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
There are a few:
> Always be willing to learn
> Always be thankful for what you have rather than being unhappy about what you don’t have.
> Taking ownership of my actions
> Being honest to myself at all times
> Respect others at all points in time
> Always be willing to listen
> Service can never be beneath you.
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
I will say it straight that there are many factors but if you really have to have the key elements then to me these are the ones:
(a) Thinking through what you do
(b) Consultancy services are a team sport and you are only as good as your team
(c) Stand for what you believe
(d) Resourcefulness
(e) Failure is a stepping stone to new learnings
(f) Be a realist but also be positive in your approach
(g) Deliver to the best of your ability
What advice would you give students and young professionals who want to have a successful career?
The profession of architectural design consultancy is very demanding and ever-changing therefore one must always be willing to work hard and learn.
It’s also important that one must understand the difference between working hard while being smart versus just putting in the required or more hours.
It’s also important to benchmark projects and designers and learn from their works. Lastly but most importantly enjoy what you do and keep honing your talent. That’s why it’s called a “Practice”.
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.
