Hemant Chawla Associates

Hemant Chawla Associates is a small architectural firm where things are done in a very hands-on way. Since we don't have a complicated corporate structure, you usually just end up talking directly to the people doing the actual work. Hemant has been doing this for a long time, and the office reflects that with shelves full of old project files and books that have seen better days. It is the kind of place where there is always a pot of tea on and a map spread out on the table. We don't spend much time on fancy presentations or marketing stuff; we’re usually too busy figuring out how to fix a structural issue or trying to get a permit through the local office. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed, though it can get a bit frantic when a site visit reveals something we weren't expecting. We have a small group of associates who have been working together for years, so we all know how the others think. There isn't much hierarchy here, just a lot of collaboration and occasionally some loud debates over design choices. We just want to make sure the buildings we work on are solid and functional for whoever ends up using them. It’s a simple office with a lot of history, and we prefer it that way because it keeps the focus on the actual architecture instead of just worrying about the image.