Defining success

“Success is hard to come by, and takes quite a bit of time, so persevere, avoid being disillusioned and tempted to shift streams,” says Kayzad R. Shroff, Principal Architect, SHROFFLEÓN
 Exposure towards architecture was early for Kayzad as a child he was already growing up to sketch his journey in the profession of architecture. Designing came to him as a passion, he polished up his skills as he grew and entered the field of architecture. Kayzad R Shroff talks about his responsibility towards the profession of architecture and explains come challenges during project execution.
Passion towards architectureGrowing up with an architect father, my exposure to the profession dates all the way back to my school days. During summer vacations I recall going to my fathers studio and simply tracing over his drawings, soaking in the creative juices within an office environment. For me being exposed to the culture of the profession right from childhood, in some way, architecture seemed a natural career path, rather than a decision that required introspection.
Journey in the field of architectureMy profession as an architect has been progressively getting more and more diverse. From being called as an expert within a relatively narrow spectrum of expertise, profession of architecture has transformed into that of a negotiator and a coordinator, juggling between various agencies of diverse know-how’s, at all scales, ranging from micro to the macro.
View on proposed amendment of Architects Act, 1972I think the amendment would be an obvious progression of the Architects Act. Since 1972, the field of architecture has grown to be influenced, and include to some extent, multiple areas of expertise. There are areas wherein the architect is being a coordinator, having a larger picture in mind, has been rudimentary working of, but without rigorous knowledge.  For such instances an architect naturally relies on speciality inputs which are to be held responsible for each of their domains. 
Challenges during executing projects I am currently collaborating with an NGO called the Tigi Foundation for their first stand alone campus housing veterinary facilities, along with residential quarters for animals, staff and doctors in Karjat, Mumbai. Work on this project which was initiated by my office close to 3 years ago, but which has recently broken ground. Being an NGO, the issue of funds forced a constant change of both scale, and location. Moreover, the project being primarily for animals, forced a different scalar sensibility which constantly made us question ‘standards’ while being applied to this context. Currently, the primary issue I am grappling with is the execution of my intended design by local unskilled labour. With even the foreman on site being quite unable to read architectural drawings, even though the campus is designed using exclusively traditional planning and constructional techniques.
View on green buildingsToday, the role of green within buildings has integrated within the construction industry to such an extent that it has become synonymous with construction itself, rendering the questioning of its role, virtually obsolete. This has been quite aided by the fact that all agencies involved, starting from the client that requires the green tag, all the way to window agencies supplying and primarily pushing for green products.
Word of advice to young architectsDo not enter the profession under pressure from family, friends or peers. As a stream it is probably one of the hardest. If you are genuinely interested, it can be one of the most satisfying professions. Once you are into the profession, have patience and then a bit more. Success is hard to come by, and takes quite a bit of time, so persevere, avoid being disillusioned and tempted to shift streams. Most importantly choose your studio for internship wisely; your first job will probably have a greater impact on you, both in terms of design and work ethic, than your 5 years in school.

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