At BrilliantRead Media, we always strive to bring to our community some of the finest stories from India and around the World. As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur – Shrinidhi Vijayan for an exclusive interview with us. She is the Founder and Principal Architect at Archstory. Let’s learn more about her inspiring journey, her background and her advice for our growing community!
Excerpts from our exclusive interview with Shrinidhi:
We are aware of your contribution to the ecosystem, talk us through your background and your journey, please;
I’ve always shown interest in art right from childhood. I’m thankful for the opportunity which I got from my school days at Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan Senior Secondary School, which gave a lot of importance to art along with academics.
Even from a young age, I’ve always given attention to detail. There was a defining moment in high school when I knew I wanted to be an architect.”
Though my parents wanted me to become a doctor, I was determined to follow my passion which was Architecture and Interior Design. I pursued the Architecture programme In the School of architecture and interior design, SRM. In Architecture, the school got to work on interesting projects along with the guidance of faculty.
The eye-opener was when I got to work on real-life projects during my internship. I understood how designs come to life. After graduation, I practised architecture in a firm for a couple of years. While I was preparing to apply for masters when a project came my way and then our story began.”
What made you passionate about ‘Architecture & Interior Designing’?
Ever since I was young, I have admired everything that’s been beautifully designed, intricate buildings and structures. I have always appreciated a nice space, well-designed home because I do believe home is where the heart is. As I Grew, I researched more about architecture and interior design looking through a lot of interesting projects.
A lot of architects have inspired me in different ways. Pursuing my passion for architecture was definitely the best decision I have ever made in my life. It amazes me how I continue to be just as excited as I was before. I love everything about architecture and interior design. Right from site visits to conceptualisation to bringing the design to life.
One of my most favourite things is meeting clients and discussing projects and seeing them get really excited about the project through the journey. Nothing like a happy client at the end of the project.”
‘Archstory’ is such a unique name; talk us through more about it, please.
In 2019, it was the initial stages of us already working on a couple of projects and we hadn’t come up with a name for our firm yet. While I was sitting with a friend of mine discussing this, we thought it was high time to name the firm.
My friend asked me what a project meant to me, without thinking for a split second I said “Every Project Is A STORY By Itself”. Right then I knew we got the perfect name for the firm “ARCHSTORY” .”
We as a team concentrate on valuing our client’s style and unique preference. Every client comes to us with the idea of their dream space. Archstory is passionate about creating functional, purposeful, novel and aesthetically pleasing spaces which reflect the client’s personality.
How do you manage to keep going despite the challenges? What drives you?
I always try to keep myself positive. Life is all about how we face our challenges. You only have two options – either give up and lose or you stay strong and keep going. I always believe in choosing the latter.
I look for things I’m blessed with and I’m grateful for the life I have.
Who do you believe has been the biggest source of motivation in your daily life?
Family and Friends. Not a day goes by without them. They have always been there to support, encourage and pick me up when I fall.
My father is my biggest inspiration. I’ve grown up looking at him as being so positive and motivated no matter how difficult or challenging things have been. Wish I could be at least half as good as him.
What are some of the strategies that you believe have helped you grow as a person?
When it comes to design, it’s very important to keep getting inspired and to keep learning. Researching, reading, learning new details & techniques, talking to other designers has always helped me grow as a designer and as a person. To learn and to share is something I believe in. You only gain when you share your knowledge.
You are always positive and motivated, what keeps you going?
1) I try to take control over what I can and stop worrying about what I can’t
2) I always try to read and listen to positive things.
3) I surround myself with positive people
In your opinion, what are the keys to success?
Strength and growth come only with continuous effort and struggle.
Sometimes you don’t realise your own strength until you come face to face with your greatness and weakness. Patience is the biggest key to success. Always Prioritize your goals and work on them. Stay positive and keep learning from mistakes.
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.
