Interview with Suraksha Acharya
Midori architects is an award-winning firm, established in the year 2015 under the leadership of Suraksha Acharya, a cognitive member of the sustainable architecture field in India, championing the…
Design Legend Interview
30 April 2018
I graduated with Honors from the School of Architecture and Planning, Anna University, Chennai, India in 2007 and went on to practice at T.R Hamzah & Yeang Sdn, Bhd in Kuala Lumpur, under the mentorship of Dr. Ken Yeang. During this time, I was closely involved with the design phase of several large scale mixed-use, residential & commercial tower projects in Asia that were driven by sustainable concerns. In 2009 I chose to return to academics and pursued my Masters in Sustainable Environmental Design at the Architectural Association, London. In 2012 I joined a start-up firm Pomeroy Studio in Singapore as an Architectural Designer & later pursued my passion for ‘Green’ as an Sustainability Consultant with Design Partner Architects in 2013 & as a Green Building Analyst with Environmental Design Solutions in 2014. I am a LEED® Accredited Professional with a specialty in Building Design & Construction, a certified GRIHA Evaluator & Trainer, and one of the few design professionals from Chennai to achieve a Green Mark Manager (GMM) designation from the BCA Academy Singapore.
As an architect, the profession embraces the individuality of each person. Designing buildings itself is a fulfilling and creative pursuit. Architecture always focuses on enriching one’s life and has the significant ability to touch on an integral part of a person’s life is a reason to be an architect.
I have been fascinated with buildings ever since I started playing with my brother’s Lego sets as a child. This spark eventually turned into a lifelong passion that would shape my career. My path started out in trying to balance my flair for engineering and passion for the arts which lead me to explore my creative side. Architecture is the product when art meets science especially when designing buildings and structures.
I have specialized in design of several large scale mixed-use, residential & commercial tower projects in Asia that were driven by sustainable concerns. At Midori, currently we are involved with the design of residential bungalows and interiors that is keeping the practice busy.
Building a business isn’t a singular act; it’s a series of small steps. For the most part it is people management, effective communication, and seizing opportunities when available, Design is a small portion in the journey towards becoming a design legend. The key is to think big, start small, and learn fast
Great designers do not bow down to criticism. Because they take every criticism in stride
Bringing that subtle difference into your designs is what separates a great designer from a good designer. Like any other art, you don’t design something because it’s required. You design something because it fulfills the gap between needs and requirement. It’s shaped by how well it answers “why we are doing this?” or how it solves the purpose.
I would like to build zero energy homes
My dream project is to build a zero carbon zero energy home in the Indian context.
The youth are the future. Firms need to embrace the ideas, energy and enthusiasm of young people. This is the my idea of success.
Frank Lloyd wright, Ken Yeang , and Norman Foster are some of the master architects that I draw inspiration on a daily basis.
Shanty-Scraper- Invisible perception is one of our award winning projects that secured the 2nd place at the eVolo Skyscraper Competition 2015. The rise of city’s squatters over the past decade indicated the struggle to cope with rapid urbanization and the lack of political will in improving slum dweller’s access to essential services. Shanty-Scraper aspires to provide a unique solution for the fishermen of Nochikuppam located at Marina bay beach. The vertical squatter structure predominately is comprised of post-construction debris such as pipes and reinforcement bars that crucially articulate the structural stability. Recycled corrugated metal sheets, regionally sourced timber & thatch-mould the enclosure of each dwelling profile and lend to their vernacular language. The double height semi enclosures serve as utility yards & social gathering spaces for the poor. I believe designing for the economically weaker section of society fulfills my purpose of becoming an architect!
Clearly, most of our decisions are based on gut level. A design that solves our problems, a design that adds value overpowers a design which just looks appealing. It’s head versus heart that allows us to differentiate between perfect and defective.
If I wasn’t an Architect, I would have been a fashion designer or a product designer which would have satiated my creative side.
We believe in design which aims to protect the environment and natural resources, recreating urban areas and buildings that are designed in order to fully cover their energy requirements without induce environmental damage. Natural cooling, compared to air conditioning, not only provides energy saving, economic and environmental benefits, but also constitutes a different approach, having as its goal, human comfort and well-being.
My family has been my biggest support through all my successes and failures. I am thankful for their love & support throughout my journey.
Everyone needs guidance and support as a young designer. Throughout my journey, Dr. Ken Yeang – ‘the Father of tropical design’ has taught me to look back and evaluate my career, to discover that architects have different experiences, backgrounds, and objectives.
I do not consider myself to be a design master, I hope to be one some day! There are many obstacles as a young designer faces such as gaining respect from your peers, public speaking and embracing failure as a stepping stone to success.
Designers should present their work in a clear and simple manner such that the common man / masses can easily understand. It is important we show the public initiatives that each of our initiatives seek to
improve the built environment and to preserve, and even restore, the natural environment for future
generations. We believe in time management of design and deliverable which manifests in our
projects to utmost perfection.
improve the built environment and to preserve, and even restore, the natural environment for future
generations. We believe in time management of design and deliverable which manifests in our
projects to utmost perfection.
Ultimate goal is to inspire design which aims to protect the environment and natural resources, recreating urban areas and buildings that are designed in order to fully cover their energy requirements without induce environmental damage.
MIDORI follows a comprehensive approach combined with an organizational systematic platform. Our qualified and innovative research complements a whole new creative side of integrative design process that enhances our design & decision making.
Chennai has been selected as one of the country’s sustainable smart cities; however, a lot needs to be done to improve the quality of life of its residents. Improving the public transport system and providing alternatives to mobility is another aspect that architects and town planners need to pursue rigorously.
The future lies in smart building industry, where computers can learn to recognize patterns ranging from people in the room to room temperatures that correlate with high performance and efficiency—and then recommend these conditions. Its solutions like these, that help building managers to reduce wasteful energy use by learning the preferences and occupancy patterns of employees and adjusting energy use throughout the day.
Many of us struggle to bring products from that initial idea phase to actual completion. Projects are started and then quickly abandoned, never fulfilling their potential. And as a result, great opportunities for business growth are lost. Aero Hive – Sustainable Office tower took about 3-4 moths to bring to fruition from initial concept
There's always one part of a project that you absolutely love to do. Maybe it's picking out the colors, or developing the details, but try starting with this single element first. It may not always make sense to start with the task you love, but you might find that the rest of the project is more enjoyable or turns out differently than you would have expected.
The bottom line is that designers should always keep in mind that they are designing for their clients and not for themselves. The best design meets a client's needs and leaves the designer's ego out of it. Design will continue to evolve, and trends will come and go, but constantly honing your ability to produce great work based on exactly what a specific client is looking for is the most valuable skill to have as a designer.
Good design has existed throughout time, but it still undergoes major changes and shifts from time to time. Changes in technology, the shift to mobile and other factors influence how design works and is implemented. Good design has adapted to the current state of technology and will continue to over time. If all designers had followed existing trends, we wouldn’t have experienced the same leaps and advances in design that we have.
It’s thanks to the designers who thought outside the box and created new technologies and practices that design has made the progress it has.
It’s thanks to the designers who thought outside the box and created new technologies and practices that design has made the progress it has.
Technology plays a vital role in the design process as it helps to simplify environmental complexities so that our clients can become part of the design transpiration and the larger sustainable solution.
Color carries emotional resonance with it, when we see a color, we have an emotional response towards that color. Colors connect to our feelings in a unique and memorable way, which makes them a powerful marketing tool to keep in mind for your design projects. The colors in your design need to be purposeful and have meaning in their use.
Every now and then, you come to a point where you need to select a designer to join your team. They are the key-makers, those with the ability to catapult your product and/or services to new heights. Making a well-informed hiring decision is no different than choosing a life partner or a new flat. It is one of those complicated and stressful challenges a leader can face.
Designer Interview
30 April 2018
I have been fascinated with buildings ever since I started playing with my brother’s Lego sets as a child. This spark eventually turned into a lifelong passion that would shape my career. My path started out in trying to balance my flair for engineering and passion for the arts. As an innovator, I wanted to approach design challenges with a fresh, unique, modern sustainable perspective that crafts spaces for life well lived.
Midori architects is an award-winning firm, established in the year 2015, championing the need to build better and more environment friendly structures. The firm is committed using advanced technology and simulation techniques to produce architecturally pleasing work while pushing the boundaries of high performance design, thereby becoming involved with several sustainable design initiatives.
Design is a collaborative and integrative process where art meets science and reflect the values of functional notion of utopia. Our qualified and innovative research complements a whole new creative side of integrative design process that enhances our design & decision making to deliver exciting, modern spaces that align our clients’ creative visions to their fundamental values.
We strive towards delivering quality urban spaces, offering our clients integrated, efficient and progressive solutions toward the future of our projects. Using advanced technology and simulation techniques, we try to simplify environmental complexities so that our clients can become part of the design transpiration and the larger sustainable solution. We believe in delivering high quality, effectively built spaces that align with our client’s priorities, budget and lifestyle. We undertake projects that embrace a diverse range of sectors which include the Residential, Workplace, Retail, Hospitality, Civic and Institutional uses.
My very first project was a design scheme for was for Putrajaya 2C5 Commercial Development, Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia. This 14 storey office tower was designed as a self sufficient water reuse/recycling system within the building. The key design feature of the iconic tower is a continuous green Eco infrastructure at the north facade, ascending up the tower through green ramps from the basement, infusing it with an ecological and social terraces and garden and back down on the rear facade by a series of ramps around a meeting room. I learnt a lot from this project under the mentorship of Dr Ken Yeang ‘Father or the Tropical Skyscraper’, whom inspired me to continue my interest in the field of sustainable design.
We believe in design which aims to protect the environment and natural resources, recreating urban areas and buildings that are designed in order to fully cover their energy requirements without induce environmental damage. Natural cooling, compared to air conditioning, not only provides energy saving, economic and environmental benefits, but also constitutes a different approach, having as its goal, human comfort and well-being.
Architecture is by definition subject to a complex set of constraints. Being creative involves continuous thinking, decision making and the dual nature of the word 'design', suggests a link between means and ends, with or without a clear conceptual tool to address the context or problem. When the term 'creative' is used to express the interaction of building to its environment and the architectural process is a synthesis, embracing artistic and scientific creativity, and invention.
Sustainability is infused into all that we touch. By harnessing the local topography, climate, and vegetation, as well as cleverly manipulating a building’s orientation, at MIDORI, we strive to naturally create a comfortable indoor climate that reduces dependence on air-conditioning.
By integrating the analysis of the interactions between building, occupants, and the larger environment, designers will model successfully the fundamental relationships that should drive the future of design.By simply observing how people behave in buildings or by asking them what choices they would make about their environments every building can successfully respond to the occupant comfort which aims to protect the environment and natural resources, recreating urban areas and buildings that are designed in order to fully cover their energy requirements without induce environmental damage.
The built environment is key to humanity’s impact on nature and it is the major contributor to climate change and other significant problems. Natural cooling, compared to air conditioning, not only provides energy saving, economic and environmental benefits, but also constitutes a different approach, having as its goal, human comfort and well-being. Good design approach lies in our aims to create profitable projects that are energy efficient and thermally comfortable for occupants but also serve their communities while reducing the negative impacts on the environment caused by the use of finite natural resources.
Buildings are a living part of our world, they expand our senses of who, where and why giving us occasions to make human contact. Architects do have a social responsibility that extends beyond practice i.e. sustainable design. Architecture can significantly impact the built environment and with every project we have the enormous opportunity to eliminate GHG’s by minimizing building energy consumption. Zero Carbon Architecture through environmental design is our only future path. We must conceive a future that builds smarter, better and greener - connecting communities to the natural.
Forward thinkers inspire us, and that spark of ingenuity is at the heart of what we do. MIDORI is dedicated to providing contemporary design solutions for more efficient, healthier environments in which to work, play and live.
Our skilled professionals innovate and create at every stage of a project keeping our sustainability agenda and environmental responsibility in mind. Our commitment to producing architecturally pleasing work while pushing the boundaries of sustainable design has encouraged MIDORI Architects to become involved with a number of sustainable design initiatives. Each of these initiatives seek to improve the built environment and to preserve, and even restore, the natural environment for future generations.
As a start up firm we don’t get the opportunity to design a skyscraper everyday, and open architecture competitions help us raise the standard of the team and push us to discover what might be possible in a utopian world. Usually, the “real world” can be quelling, due to client meetings, budget constraints, codes to follow and deadlines. The liberties that come along with entering competitions such as A’ Design Award are not only refreshing, but also extremely gratifying as you are truly designing for yourself.
We are a young team of new-age designers, planners, thinkers and consultants from Chennai, and we create everlasting structures through innovative form, modern flow and versatile function.
We can be reached through our website www.midoriarchitects.com or email us at enquiry@midoriarchitects.com.