Archohm: one-stop shop for everything design

“Archohm is proud to be working on projects that add great value to the society at large,” says Architect Sourabh Gupta
India is in a fantastic state of flux as far as design is concerned. The nation has been evolving and developing at a fast pace. The exposure level of clients is extremely high, courtesy globalisation via Internet and the tourism. This has lead to a phenomenal increase in hunger and demand for ‘out of the box’ solutions. The same holds true for Archohm. In an interview with ACE Update, Architect Sourabh Gupta, Founder and Managing Director, Archohm Consults shares his ideology on how to become a great architect.
Architecture and present dayWe, at Archohm, thrive on innovation. We question every rule and ensure breaking each one. Clients have done the same in their own right and space and hence synergised. They exuberate an energy that is well reciprocated at Archohm. A comprehensive design and engineering solution matches the mad timelines of projects today. The large growth in the construction sector provides enough room for everyone. It is not the survival of the fittest but ensured unparalleled growth if you are fit for the job.
Challenges faced We, at Archohm, have our design sensibilities and broad design directions. To a certain level, the clients need to align themselves to our school of thought, our way of work, and our ideas of innovation. We’ve wanted to work with likeminded audience, who are there in plenty. From young entrepreneurs, evolving developers to foreign firms, all demand a certain degree of fresh professionalism that interests Archohm. They demand more and demand different. One no longer needs to educate them to cross the line and think beyond.
Our challenge is to bring our clients on board while creating the design. This brings the next level of satisfaction for the client and the necessary bonding with the design team. It also gives the comfort and confidence that we will move beyond our professional domain to assist them in their initiative at all levels. Our weakness, at times, is the speed with which we are growing and the engineering experience we have. Sometimes, this risks our solutions to border the fine line between reality and feasibility — a risk that clients so far have acknowledged and accepted well as part of their journey to think beyond.
The other challenge is execution. In order to execute projects with the right detail and finish is a task that consumes a lot of energy. In India inherently, we are accustomed to taking shortcuts and using make-shift solution; therefore, it is a gruelling task to get the quality up there.
Remarkable achievements There are around 200 toll plazas in the country and Archohm has designed at least 100. We are privileged to have been given a chance to work on projects of varied scales and disciplines like products, interiors, architectural buildings, cityscape and cities. Our recent development has seen our ideology, which is channelised in more social projects from farmer markets to infrastructure projects to cultural projects like the New Dilli Haat at Janakpuri. Archohm is proud to be working on projects that add great value to the society at large.
Future outlook We hope to remain a one-stop shop for everything “design”. We want to ensure that we remain a versatile firm, working on projects of all scales from a light fitting to a city. With a great interest in cross cultural dialogue, Archohm’s future aims to take up more international projects  as well.
Worst architectural designs in India The unappealing metro stations of the Delhi Metro are a lost opportunity. The jungle of glass buildings in Gurgaon doesn’t work climatically and contextually. The innumerable housing towers that try to look “traditional” by imitating buildings, building material and forms of yesteryears that are not relevant in today’s times.

17