Pictures and words

The most versatile piece in a building, [the door] has been a mode of expression [for] ages. The door in apartments and modern societies is just a mode of a transition from outside to inside. In traditional cities and neighborhoods, like that of Kathmandu, it’s much more than that. It’s the place where people spend most of their time. Sitting at the Chaukhat, socializing and chatting. The door is not just a tangible unit, it’s the respect you give to your building. Below are the photos I clicked during my site visits and explorations in and around Kathmandu, Nepal. The collection will keep on updating.  Update: A wonderful poem by my ex-professor, mentor and friend, Saurabh Tewari द्वार नहीं हैं ये बस लकड़ी के। सदियों से चल रही संस्कृति के। बस रंग नहीं हैं, अभिकल्प नहीं हैं, प्रमाण हैं ये नेपाल की हस्ती के।  नेपाल के दरवाज़े देखिए, निपुण प्रभाकर की आँखो से। There is a tradition of offering prayers at the door every morning. The two red dot...

I was asked by The Futurist blog to write about my journey through college and work so far. Here it is. I have been blessed with great mentors who gave me direction and taught me dedication. I also believe that if we believe in something, we get it.Coming into architecture was not planned in advance.Tandon uncle, a family friend, told mom when I was a kid and liked to play with plastic blocks and random stones that her son was going to be an architect. That prediction for long was forgotten. Like the usual science student living in Delhi and NCR, I also took a two-year coaching program for IIT. That coaching could not anything about the IIT-JEE exam but acquainted me to the beautiful city of Delhi. For one year I explored the city on every Saturday and Sunday, 10 to 5. In the later half of the year when the board exams were approaching, I realized that I cannot solve sums my whole life. I wanted to draw, I wanted to know different cultures, meet interesting people, observe int...

The season of internships is back and this is the exact time when thousands of freshly baked portfolios will be spammed to the already filled servers of poor architecture studios. I, another poor fresh graduate am sharing some thoughts on the portfolios. I am not an expert in this nor is my folio the best in the world. These are some thoughts which I believe can be helpful. You can take cues from them or choose a completely different path! 1. The shelf life of a portfolio is about a minute. Good offices receive thousands of portfolios for internships, they(mostly junior staff) quickly skim through the folio and shortlists. So make sure you have more graphics and less text. Because each page will get almost 2-5 seconds. 2.   Design according to the monitor screen.  Your folio will always be viewed on a computer screen unless you send a printed copy. So, make it in the ratios favorable and comfortable to screen viewing. This will allow the viewer a seamless view of e...