Apurva Patel Architect

I’ve been working as an architect here in Ghatlodiya for a while now. It’s a busy part of Ahmedabad, and my place is right in the middle of it. I don’t have a big, fancy office with a whole lot of staff. It’s mostly just me and a few others handling the day-to-day work. The office is pretty simple, with a couple of drafting tables and some shelves full of old project files and books. People in the neighborhood often drop by just to ask a quick question about a renovation or a new build they’re thinking about. I like the fact that it’s a local operation. I spend a lot of my time traveling between the office and various sites around the city, so I’m often out in the dust and heat. When I am at the desk, I’m usually sketching out ideas or trying to figure out how to make a client’s plan fit their budget. It’s not always easy, and there are plenty of days where things don't go exactly as planned, but that is just how the construction business is. I don't use any of those big marketing words to describe what I do. I just draw the plans and help get things built. It’s a straightforward job that keeps me busy from morning until late evening. Ghatlodiya is a good place to be based because it feels like a real community where people know each other.