Sudhir Shah
Born and brought up in Vadodara district, I have seen the intricacies of the town life before moving to the big opportunist city of Vadodara. I started working right after doing my Bachelors in Architecture from M.S.U in 1984. Working in Dabhoi, Rajpipla and the surrounding towns in the initial stages of my career made me understand the psyche of the people . I remember making hand drafted drawings in Gujarati as that was the only language the labour understood. It is very important to understand all aspects of architecture before designing. Varied experiences only nourishes that further. Through the years I've realized that understanding the client, budget and the challenges of the site are far more superior than providing an aesthetic solution. Working on varied projects of different scales and budgets has further increased my apetite towards Architecture. My interest in Music and Arts has helped me sync the various aspects of the design with a fine balance of details. 30 years down the line, with the baggage of being a well established Architect now, the challenge is still to raise the bar with each project.
Soham Shah
As the second generation in the profession, the focus is to expand and build on the legacy. Having done my Bachelors from around Baroda and Masters from the U.S, I believe that there is a tremendous potential for architecture to dictate and facilitate the way ahead. However, it is very easy to misinterpret and jump on the train without thinking about the consequences. The haphazard development appalls me as much as it motivates me. The global challenges of pollution, climate change, inequality and poverty cannot be alienated from architecture. At the same time, architecture can lead the way forward for countries with sensitive and well thought out stretegies. While in the States, I had the opportunity to study and explore foreign construction techniques in fairly similar climatic conditions. Having a counterpoint always helps to question the obvious. And, questioning before accepting will be the way forward.