Achieve Creative Satisfaction Through Conviction [Feb 2012]

From suggesting changes in the archaic byelaws to designing buildings with passion, Architect Dikshu C.Kukreja shares his views on various interesting ideologies…
What inspired you to become an architect?My father’s hardwork and achievements inspired me to emulate and achieve greater success.
According to you, what is a powerful design?One that evokes a positive response and above all shapes peoples’ lives.
What makes your designs unique to other architects?Architecture is a creative field and there are many creative architects in India. As a firm, we design with a passion and love our projects. And what we do hopefully shows in the result.
What kind of challenges do you face while incorporating international trends in your designs?Convincing local authorities and the interpretation of byelaws is a major challenge. Ensuring design essence and quality is not lost in execution – are some of the other challenges.
According to you what is sustainability?Buildings that can co-exist with nature.
What initiatives should the government take that can help urban planners to develop Delhi in a sustainable manner?Change archaic byelaws; make the Master Plan of Delhi truly futuristic.
Has globalisation had any kind of influence in transforming urban spaces, if so how?Similarity in requirements, desires, and expectations of MNCs. Even Indian clients are exposed to global trends. Availability of technology and materials has made it possible to have world-class designs implemented here.
You had mentioned once that your dream project was to build an underground city, how close are you to building one?At the moment, we are designing skyscrapers touching the clouds, instead! However, our effort to explore underground architecture at a practical level so far has been for the design of underground metro stations for DMRC. Also we are designing some large scale hotels for prestigious chains such as JW Marriott, MGM, etc. near the airport. Due to their proximity to the airport, we have designed many public spaces which are at various levels underground. However, my dream of an underground city is still to be realised.
Your message to architectural communityHaving travelled across the country, I find Indian architects are very talented all across. Let us believe in our convictions and through our actions, we can not only ensure our profession receives greater recognition but also undoubtedly at individual level more satisfaction.

8