Vishal Ahuja Architect

I’ve been working out of this place at 241 Tilak Nagar for quite some time now. It’s a residential neighborhood, so it stays fairly calm, which is nice for when I need to concentrate on a design. Usually, it’s just me and maybe a helper or two. The desk is always messy with site photos and sketches. I don't really believe in those super polished offices where you’re afraid to touch the furniture. Here, there is dust from site visits and probably a few coffee rings on the table. People from around the neighborhood stop by sometimes just to ask about a wall they want to knock down. I try to give them a straight answer. Architecture is a lot of paperwork and dealing with regulations that seem to change every other month. I spend a lot of time on the phone with suppliers or visiting sites to make sure the bricks are actually being laid the right way. It’s not all drawing pretty pictures. Most of it is just making sure the plumber and the mason are on the same page. If things go wrong on a site, I'm usually the one who has to go out and figure out a fix. Tilak Nagar has a certain vibe, and I try to keep that in mind when working on anything local. It’s a lot of work, but seeing a house finally finished is alright. I enjoy the process of seeing something go from a line on paper to a real building.