by Creators Architects is a value centric architectural firm based in India which was founded in 1986.They have completed more than 500 projects working with various organizations and people. Utssav Gupta is the CEO and partner of Creators Architects who is also an Architect professional.
Recently we had opportunity to interview him on behalf of We Heart Entrepreneurs team. His ideas are innovative and inspiring. You will learn his strategies towards innovation in Architecture. Read below interview to find out how Utssav Gupta and his team work towards to bring an innovative architectural design.
1. Hello! Can you please tell us about you?
I am a second-generation architect, third-generation entrepreneur and an innovation enthusiast by passion. Coming from a family of architects, Ii imbibed the bug at a young age and was very passionate about the subject. Seeing the contrast and contradictions that are faced as a part of the project journey, i was determined to change it for the better. My curiosity and hope led me to study in many subjects, to find the answers of such practical contradictions. This changed my paradigm for how I look at projects and identifying the problems.
These studies and subsequently applied learnings blurred the limits of what architecture and innovation could do. My focus was only one, to transform the status quo, to improve human life and to create a timeless sustainable model with our creations.
Today, we find ourselves not just as architects, but catalyst for critical thinking, sculptors for humane experiences and strategists for organisational vision.
2. How do you help your clients through Creators Architects?
Creators Architects is a value-centric organisation that works on the intersection of building technologies and innovation sciences, to deliver outcomes that matter to clients and their goals. Our minds are always finding opportunities to create competitive uniqueness for clients with our architecture. This attitude is what fuels our research, to find new ways, integrate innovation strategies and create client-centric deliveries.
As a direct result of our works, our clients have experienced organisational growth, capturing aspiring customer segments, build work-life culture, save capital and operational expenses through efficiency, creating customer experience as a brand promise, and achieve better customer satisfaction. Our architecture provides a unique standing for client organisations, a sustainable asset that helps them ‘DISRUPT’.
3. With other Architectural firms available, what makes Creators Architects unique?
What makes us unique! I would like to tell you about the foundation that led us here. In an era of ‘start ups’, we are carrying a 35 years legacy that has been built over some very old values and contemporary approach. Our culture is the biggest asset that has allowed us to grow thick and wide. The culture that was seeded by my parents, Mr. Rajiv Gupta and Mrs. Mukta Gupte, when they found the firm what about client-centricity, empathy, passion and honesty. These values grew into respect for relationships and perseverance towards being better.
The client-centric value system inspired us to constantly question, like what is a right fit for the client, how can architecture be the instrument of change, has our architectural done positive towards goals of organisation, society and users. Reflecting back to learn, develop and apply, step by step we have come a long way in the maturity of our architectural process.
One hand we honed design excellence in our work, and on the other the cause for which they are done, our innovations have exceeded from the traditional bounds of architecture. This approach of Innovation by design allowed us to create an extremely sharp case for the clients, leading to creating a holistic environment that is built for purpose, performance and human experience.
This client centric culture, which in turn created the thought, leading to the process of innovation by design and ultimately its outcome, is the biggest differentiating factor we carry.\
4. When it comes to innovation in Architecture, how do you define it? Where are the areas that you can be innovative with Architectural designs?
When talking about architecture and innovation, we found it broadly in two kinds approaches. The first one is ‘Design by innovation’. This is the most prevailing understanding and is commonly used to bring innovation for visual aspects; working with materials, spaces, light, textures, feature, shapes. Mainly targeting to improve the phenotype of the structure, this is vital for architectural expression and is celebrated as such.
However, this approach is often completely dependent on other factors like programme efficiency, robustness of project brief, interpretation and knowledge transfer of qualitative aspects, etc. We realised that there is a big risk factor involved if one is truly aiming for “Outcome-Driven Architecture”. We started asking ourselves; Can architecture’s impact be expanded beyond aesthetics and comfort, out flanking the limitations of conventional process and to be truly instrument of transformation by the very way it’s being created. The answer lied in the innovations for the genotype.
‘Innovation by design’ approach is the genetic level innovation that is status quo defying and has created stunning results both on the dimension of aesthetics and holistic impact. It provides the base to go beyond the conventional limitations of prerequisites and technical constraints, to look at the entire project-case with a new lens, in order to innovate at the outset itself, which is much more expanded, much more defined and much more aspirational goal in mind.
This kind of approach at the inception level creates a synergy between the overall intrinsic objectives of the organisation and architecture, resulting in innovations on three basic dimensions: Sustainability, User experience and uniqueness, that ultimately leads to competitive advantage that architecture would provide to the clients.
5. Do you think Creators Architects can help its clients with innovative Architecture? Will they accept or are there any challenges?
Our projects have got are very sharp in design, delivering architecture that works for clients organisations and have enhanced their business case. The impact on the carbon footprint is also very sustainable as a result of our smart programming method and secondary functions. These projects have emerged as unique in their own way, have save millions of capital investments and are telly sustainable. Users love it, the architecture has become an experiential subject for users to explore. It has aided in giving comfort in projects like healthcare, inspiration in educational projects, sense of devotion in spiritual sector, and interaction and safety in case of public infrastructure.
As we constantly develop these techniques and research on innovations, we are able to translate this approach into clear ROI and brand value. We truly believe that in this digital world, competition is become so fierce that architecture has become the new front end, something that projects values and trust. This is the biggest winning factor that our clients experience and therefore acceptability is not a question. As such, we like to think of ourselves as partners and therefore, objections are good for the process as it provides us feedback input to consider. Overall the net outcome is what matters.
6. Do you have any advice for emerging entrepreneurs specially for those who are willing to involve in Architecture related businesses?
When I started my career, I struggled to find my bearing for my years. Full of questions, I would hear the great architects of our time and try to find that one sentence that they might say when it all starts to make sense. Who do I want to become, What should I be doing; many such thoughts would cloud my mind. Does language come first, or sector? I saw some of my colleagues and classmates going towards funk designs, it brought them immediate results. I soon realised that it was not me, but the questions still remained for who I was?
In the end, I realised that I was focusing on the end answer that truly does not exist. They say that Architecture profession is always practiced and never said to be working. Probably because they are always practicing and evolving. Schooling is not about learning, it is about learning how to learn. Important thing is to be honest enough to your own self, to recognise the gaps in our own practice, to be open to learn and embrace our expression.
I would invite all young entrepreneurs to not to chase the wild goose, to look inwards and understand your own being. Honesty towards clients starts with honest to your own-self. Those are my two cents.
We hope you found lots of ideas after reading this interview with Utssav Gupta who is the CEO of Creators Architects.To find more about their designs and projects,visit the website www.creatorsarchitects.com
