Ananya Singhal
is a Managing Partner at Studio Saar.
Tell us about your career journey. How did you get started in the field of architecture??
When I was a kid in school, I told my parents I wanted to be an architect. They didn’t really have any experience in this area, but they were so open that they started to think of who I could seek help from. Balkrishna Vithaldas Doshi was a family friend and, naturally, they took me to see him. Since then, he mentored me through my architecture studies at Bath, where I met Jonny. Jonny has been a creative partner since before Studio Saar was founded. We slowly fell into this idea of practicing together.
Were there any pivotal moments or experiences that solidified your decision to pursue a career in architecture and design?
My dad tells a story of me drawing a bridge to connect two labs together when I was four. He insists that architecture was on the cards from that moment. Truly, it was the time I spent working at Sangath with Doshi, Rajeev Bhaiya, Khushnu Panthaki Hoof and Sönke Hoof. They have been incredibly inspiring for me. Encouraging and supportive while setting high expectations, they gave me a foundation of thinking and architectural practice.
If you hadn’t followed your passion for being an architect, what other career path would you have pursued?
I have a lot of passions, from helping people reduce energy use to making furniture and photographs, so I have no idea where I would have gone with my life if it wasn’t for architecture. I am sure I would have found something that can have an incredible impact and be fulfilling.
I have two jobs. I am an Architect for a part of my life, and for the other part, I work in Secure, which is an energy monitoring and management company. I am intensely passionate about the fact that we can all live more comfortably, decrease energy use and reduce the carbon output of humanity.
Who has been your greatest influence and source of inspiration?
I don’t think of only one; the mind is a crucible, and we read, experience, hear and feel so many things and the influence of so many people. I have already mentioned some of them. Studio Saar’s Creative Director, Jonny, my parents, the Doshi family; and both my brother and sister are constant sources of inspiration. They have incredible grit and a voracious thirst for knowledge, they work extremely hard, and all of us have this amazing ambition to make a real impact. I would say this common sense of purpose spurs us all.
What’s been the most memorable project you’ve worked on, and for what reason?
Third Space, beyond a doubt. Why? Because it sucked a little bit of my life force out of me. For six months before the pre-launch, it took all of my strength, fortitude, intellect and emotional energy to get it from carcass to creation. It was hard work, and that paid off enormously. Despite the pressure of an immovable deadline, the worst weather for building and the COVID-19 pandemic, the team alloyed into a single force to get the project done. I will never forget what we forged over that project.
Can you share a personal anecdote or experience that taught you a valuable lesson about being an architect?
When I was in school, I apprenticed to a carpenter in the UK; it was my first time working in the space of making things with a view to quality. I learnt that the act of making is critical to the act of design. Great architecture is only possible when craftspeople come together with designers to make their projects successful.
Could you walk us through a typical workday in your current role?
I work two jobs, one at Secure and one at Studio Saar. I meld the jobs well, doing around 12 hours of work per day, six days a week. It is relatively fluid between working with the architectural team on projects and what we should be doing, working with the clients and helping them form a better understanding of their briefs and working with the wider Secure team. I don’t really know if I have a ‘typical day’.
What is your favourite building and why?
Can there be a singular answer? The one building I love visiting and spending time in is Sangath; Doshi embedded it with an energy that is just jaw-dropping. To go from the urban melee to this haven of architecture, walking through a green space allows your mind to move from the daily humdrum to Doshi’s vision. Once inside, as the volumes change, you can’t but marvel at the deftness of the architecture.
In your opinion, who is the greatest architectural mastermind of our time?
This is way too difficult a question to answer. I don’t know if there is a singular mind I can put up on a pedestal like this. There are so many interesting and fascinating practices around the world. Take Studio Gang, who are renowned for their sustainable practices that are community centric and beautifully grounded to their sites. Rajeev Khatpalia and those at Studio Sangath remain hugely innovative and are resolving problems that are uniquely Indian. Peter Rich is inspirational for what he is doing: Developing an African culture of architecture that is independent of colonial influences.
If you were hosting a dinner party to discuss architecture and design, and you could invite three individuals, either from the past or the present, who would you choose to join your conversation?
1. B.V. Doshi
2. Jane Jacobs
3. Charles Correa.
Together, these three would sharpen my understanding of the ideas of humanism, community engagement and cultural sensitivity. They would revitalise my view of the role of architecture in society, with a clear understanding of how we can facilitate a better future by giving the users and residents the tools to decide their own future.
Looking ahead, what exciting projects or initiatives can we anticipate from you in the coming year?
We recently created a modular pavilion inspired by ancient Indian principles of forestry and nature conservation for the inaugural edition of Design Mumbai, India’s first contemporary international design fair. Named Srivan, the pavilion consisted of 33 irregularly-arranged, hexagonal, lily-shaped canopies interspersed with champa (frangipani) and ficus trees and a multitude of locally-sourced plants and shrubs. We designed these in a way to be easily demountable and transportable in line with circular economy principles.
Looking ahead, we’ve got this great factory project in Madhya Pradesh and some incredible projects in the UK. These are all going to put all of our design ideology to the test; they will push us to be better.
