Architecture as a Career Choice : Interview with Aditya Krishnan

Aditya has 14 years experience across Middle-East, India and Europe. In the past he has worked with Stantec (Formerly Burt-Hill & Norr).

FULL NAME : Aditya Krishnan

LOCATION : Dubai

DESIGNATION : ​​ Senior Architect & Project Manager

ORGANISATION : EDGE (A Think Space LLC Company) ​​

HAILS FROM : New Delhi

Aditya would be keen to mentor students. Look out for opportunities to interact with him on our blog.​

Questions & Answers

ACADEMICS AND SKILLS:

Q1. What did you have to study to get into this line of work and where did you attend college? Were/are there other ways of qualifying for this profession? (Please specify if your educational qualifications were necessary to get into this line of work).

​Ans. A Basic Degree of Architecture is a prerequisite. This course spans 5 years in most countries.

Q2. Academically, what subjects should a student be good at to be successful in this job(during school and higher education)?

Ans. Physics, Mathematics and English.

Q3. What skills should a student, aspiring for this profession, try to develop during high school and possibly at an undergrad level, to be good at it and possibly break the entry barriers for entrance exams and interviews they need to clear to get into a good college?

​Ans. Communication is key with an added ability to put ideas down on paper through sketches.

Q4. In your opinion which are the top three colleges/universities in your field within your country as well as globally? (eg. Top 3 MBA institutes in UK and top 3 globally.)

Ans. 1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) / United States

2. The Bartlett School of Architecture | UCL (University College London) / United Kingdom

3. Delft University of Technology / Netherlands

4. University of California, Berkeley (UCB) / United States

5. Harvard University / United States

ABOUT THE PROFESSION:

Q5. What are the day to day responsibilities of a professional in this field?

​Ans. Preparing Drawings, Reports and attending meetings are the main responsibility. An effective process ensures the various engineering teams or information authorities are consulted during Design.

PERSONAL CHOICES:

Q6. How did you choose this profession?

​Ans.​ I often feel the profession chose me as the concept of bringing ideas to life got me hooked.

Q7. What do you love about your job and what do you dislike?

​Ans. The profession is diverse and one needs to coordinate and communicate on a day to day basis with a whole gamut of professionals and local institutions. There is not much i dislike, i love this environment.

Q8. Where did you start and where have you reached today? (Position/organisation you started off with and where you are working now).

​Ans. I started off as a Graduate Architect and then onto an Architect, Senior Architect and now a Project Manager over a period of 14 years.

MYTH Vs REALITY

Q9. Is there any myth you’d like to break about your profession that over-glamourises or de-glamourises it?

Ans. MYTH 1: Architects can choose when and how they they work as this is generally how this profession is portrayed in films. REALITY: The hours of work and product is generally dependent on the Team in hand along with Client and Project requirements. Thinking and working smart is key. We often do work through the night when the situation calls for it.

MYTH 2: The process of Design is dreamy and the Clients are happy with the Idea. REALITY: This process is generally what take the most time requiring patience and persistence. On larger projects it often takes months to get the Client on board with the Idea that often evolves with the process.