Astitva Architects

We've been working out of this space in Matunga East for a while now, right on 7th Main. It’s a busy spot in the 5th Block, tucked away at number 75. Most days, we are just buried under blueprints or trying to get a hold of contractors who aren't picking up their phones. It gets pretty loud here with the traffic outside on 40th Cross, but we’ve grown used to the noise over the years. The office is small, but it fits our desks and all the samples we've collected. We spend a lot of time drawing things up and then changing them because that’s just how it goes with buildings. People stop by to ask about renovations or just to see what we're sketching. It's not a fancy place with a big lobby or anything like that. Just some chairs, a lot of coffee cups, and stacks of paper. Sometimes we're out at sites getting dusty, and other times we're just here staring at screens. We know the neighborhood well since we spend so much time walking around to look at different plots. It’s a lot of back and forth with the municipality and making sure the measurements actually match what’s on the ground. It’s hard work and the hours are long, but we like seeing things actually get built. The local chai guy knows us by name now. It’s just us here, trying to make sure the walls are straight and the roofs don't leak. That’s pretty much what our days look like in this corner of the block. We have some old plants by the window that we forget to water sometimes, but they survive. Our filing system is mostly just piles of folders that we eventually get through when we have a spare minute on Saturday. It isn't a perfect system, but we haven't lost a plan yet. We keep a stash of biscuits in the drawer for when lunch gets delayed.